Mandarin, Cooking, Hospital,

Ii either post too early or forget to post at all!!!!

Our trip to Mandarin was relatively successful, I say relatively because there was one kid running up and down the restaurant and another sitting in a high chair, banging her feet and periodically emitting and ear piercing shriek. Really made our day. However, the food was good, as usual. I primarily went Japanese this time with the odd Chinese thing thrown in. They did still have some Moon Cake so I had a little of that and some super ice cream that I cannot remember the name of. I had some last time but still don't know the name. It is lavender in colour mixed with some white.

We then collected the weekly shopping - new girl working there. Seems very capable. The click and collect manager is on holiday. When we came home and had finally put the shopping away, I decided to make the bean dish I posted the other day. Having done so, I realised we didn't need a heavy supper after our lunch so we had Cambazola Cheese and one of my heavy buns LOL. Will save the beans for tomorrow when I come back from the hospital.

In case you don't remember, I am going for a CT Angiogram Wednesday afternoon. Not 100% sure what that is although I know they give you a dye. Not sure why I never thought of Googling before. This is what I got "CT angiography uses a CT scanner to produce detailed images of both blood vessels and tissues in various parts of the body. An iodine-rich contrast material (dye) is usually injected through a small catheter placed in a vein of the arm." I have had something similar before and I believe the dye upset me a bit. I just found out what CT stands for, Computed Tomography. 

I just bought a roast and came across this recipe which I thought I might try.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

1 (4 -5 lb) beef roast, any kind
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package brown gravy mix, dry
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package dried Italian salad dressing mix
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package ranch dressing mix, dry*
1/2 cup water
1 cup red wine
potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, celery and onion

1. Place beef roast in crock pot.

2. Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast.

3. Pour the water around the roast.

4. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

* Use onion soup mix instead of ranch.

6. Add one cup of red wine.

5. Add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, celery and onion 2-3 hours before end.


Servings: 8

Source: Genius Kitchen

Have a great day
 

Bowling, Opioids, Mandarin,

Bowling today of course, and my first two games were appalling. You would have thought I had never held a bowling ball in my life, I redeemed myself with my third game, but my average has taken a plunge. One thing, however, I wasn't suffering as much pain in my legs as usual. Not sure what's doing that, could be a combination of things. Whatever it is, I was grateful.  Despite my performance we took 6 of the 7 points available. We are currently in 4th place. Having phoned ahead, I dropped into The Grain Harvest where I buy buns I like, she had saved me 48 (if they go in the freezer they are sold for half price, I'm not stupid!!) however, that's a lot of buns, and heaving them upstairs to the apartment was not easy. Had to sit for a while. However, I have enough for quite a few lunches. So the pain got me in the end!!

Duuh, I wrote to the wrong political office so they referred me to the right one and I composed another email about Tylenol 3. I wish I had a magic wand, I would gift some of these politicians with the kind of pain seniors get, just for a couple of days, so they would know what it's like. Not just seniors of course, but they are apparently being targeted at the moment.

Tomorrow (today now I guess) we are going to the Mandarin for lunch with our usual friends, seems like quite a while since we went but Moon Festival is still on so it can't be that long ago. Wonder if they will have any moon cake left. I recall, one year, going late in the season of the Moon Festival and they had run out of moon cake.

Using leftovers (Marmalade Pork Tenderloin) for supper Monday night, I needed an extra and had some spinach in the fridge so I prepared this, it wasn't bad. Of course, I didn't make nearly as much as the recipe says.

Garlic Sautéed Spinach

1 ½ lb(s) baby spinach leaves
2 Tbs good olive oil
2 Tbs garlic, chopped (6 cloves)
2 tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs unsalted butter
Lemon
Sea or kosher salt (optional)

1. Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.

2. In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt. Serve hot.

Servings: 6

Author: Ina Garten

Have a great day
 

Waterups, Senior Medications, Cooking, Dr. Who.

This is a fascinating picture, a storm called Callum is causing the water to go upwards instead of down - Scotland.

I have written to our MP this morning about the treatment of seniors as addicts. I have also written to CARP (same as AARP in the US) in the hope that they too will become involved. Having already endeavoured to spread the information on Facebook. I do not use Twitter unfortunately, at this time it is perhaps a pity that I don't.

I kind of planned ahead this weekend. Friday I cooked Thai Pineapple Shrimp Curry which is enough for two meals, finished it Sunday night, then Saturday I did
Marmalade Pork Tenderloin which will give us supper for Monday. Mine didn't look anything like the picture but it was delicious nevertheless. I am thinking I will do the Stewed White Beans I posted the other day for Wednesday - I have an afternoon CT Angiogram to go for so suspect we will be fairly late home. The Curry calls for toasted peanuts but I usually use toasted cashews which we have in house all the time. Recently discovered where to buy them at half the price I pay in our regular grocery store. It is Bulkville, but unfortunately a bit of a walk for me. However, it can be done. In fact I will walk to the bench right outside the store, wait for my legs to stop hurting and then go into the store. Reversing the process when I come out.

Tomorrow is, of course, league bowling which we both look forward to. The son at the alley is a Dr. Who Fanatic and they have just introduced a Barbie Doll of the current Dr. Who - a female!! I was telling him he should buy it as it will probably be worth a fortune in 50 years or less. It occurs to me the programme has to have been running 50 years (actually 55) or more. Just read this interesting snippet on Google Doctor Who first appeared on BBC TV at 17:16:20 GMT on Saturday, 23 November 1963; this was eighty seconds later than the scheduled programme time, due to the assassination of John F. Kennedy the previous day. I didn't remember that. I used to watch the programme when it first started. 

Brussels should be getting good now, never so nice in the summer. This seems a tasty way of eating them.

Bacon and Brussels Sprout Slaw

1 cup thinly diagonally sliced carrots
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
12 oz Brussels sprouts, shredded (about 5 cups)
2 Tbs toasted sliced almonds

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to coat. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds

Servings: 6

Source: Cooking Light

Have a great day

Thursday, Friday. Food Prep,

Sorry no blog yesterday, this sleepiness is getting a bit much. Admittedly I did watch TV late last night, but I slept for a lot of the rest of the day, particularly during one of my favourite programmes, Jeopardy.  We went bowling in the afternoon and didn't do too badly. I am taking so many pain killers these days I don't know what is working, if anything, or not. The Lyrica may be helping, Matt says 'well I am not in pain when I am asleep', true, but being asleep all the time is not my way of living a good life.

Friday I planned to make a Thai shrimp supper plus pickle a couple of veggies for myself. After lunch I sat down for a while, and zonk, I was asleep. I did wake up in time to get everything done, but of course having to do everything at once caused pain. I have to sit down all the time. Cannabis is now legal in Ontario (Canada?) wasn't it before when I first purchased some? So now, fingers crossed, our insurance will help with the price and then perhaps I can take the recommended dose.

At dinner Friday night I mentioned that I couldn't think what to cook for Saturday night. Matt doesn't understand, he thinks you can just conjure something up 10 minutes before you sit down. He used to cook but I guess he has forgotten now. He says everything I cook is wonderful, don't know how he can tell, he covers it all with black pepper.

Mexico celebrates The Day of the Dead at the end of October and there are lots of delicious recipes associated with this period. This is a fairly simple one. Flan is one of my favourite desserts, I am sure I would love this one.

Chocolate Flan

1/2 cup sesame seeds
2 Tbs agave syrup
kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tsp crushed ceylon cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split
1/2 cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
6 large eggs

1. Cook ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to melt and turn brown around the edges. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, pull melted sugar at edges toward center of unmelted sugar. Continue cooking, pulling in melted sugar, until all the sugar is melted and caramel is uniformly dark brown (it should smell toasty but not burnt), 10–12 minutes total (if you still have undissolved lumps of sugar, stir off heat until they melt). Pour caramel into 8"-diameter cake pan to create an even, 1/8"–¼" deep layer. Let cool.

2. Bring 1 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in cocoa powder until no lumps remain, then add cream, milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick and return to a simmer. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes.

3. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Purée eggs with sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth and sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Strain chocolate mixture into egg mixture and blend at low speed to combine, discard solids. Skim foam off the top and transfer to prepared baking dish.

4. Line a roasting pan with a thick kitchen towel; this will keep baking dish from sliding and will insulate flan, preventing it from overcooking. Set dishes on towel and place roasting pan in oven. Pour boiling water into pan until it reaches the same level as flan in baking dishes. Bake flan until it looks set like Jell-O (it will wobble when gently shaken), 35–45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Cover with plastic and chill until set and cold, at least 3 hours and up to 24.

5. Meanwhile, increase oven to 350°. Toss sesame seeds, syrup, and ¼ teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Scrape onto a silpat- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread in a even layer. Bake brittle until sesame are golden brown and syrup is bubbly, 15–20 minutes. Let cool until hardened, then break up into small pieces; discard any dark brown, bitter pieces.

6. Run a small knife around edges of flan to loosen. Invert onto a platter and top with crushed candy.

Tips: Do Ahead: Flan can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Unmold and serve

Source: Genius Kitchen

Have a great weekend

Mountains, Elephants in London, Spam,

The current Windows 10 Lock Screen shows snow topped mountains. Looking at the picture, it occurred to me that I have never seen real mountains. Or if I did I was too young to remember. I should put that on my bucket list, they are so majestic. Although, unlike the two fellers in The Bucket List (Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson,  I can't afford to go see the Himalayas and even if I could, I no longer have the ability to climb them. That is one of my favourite films by the way. Matt's too.  Also those actors are two of my favourites.. I thought they were wonderful in this movie. The Rockies are probably more in my reach these days. I started thinking about this some more and remembered that I had seen the fjords of Norway and Norway has mountains. I don't remember seeing them although  the fjords are extremely high. Same in, what was, Yugoslavia. Fjords and what I would describe as high hills

If my typing appears weird, it's the Lyrica. I am getting to be a bit zombie like, if this continues I will be stopping them.

Came across and email from World Wild Life Fund - Ahead of the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade later this week, we're making some noise with a life-size elephant travelling around London. Although normally found on the plains of Africa, we've released this majestic elephant hologram as part of our Stop Wildlife Trafficking campaign, which is supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery. I would think this would really make you Stop and Think. Look at the size of that thing. There is a London  Double Decker Bus in the background.

I have been spammed lately and I was thinking, what is the point of sending silly, meaningless messages to someone's blog. Seems daft to me.

I thought this looked good, I don't use my slow cooker nearly enough, it is rather large. I wonder what they use to make this look shiny, olive oil sprinkled over top perhaps?

Slow cooker Spanish chicken

1 Spanish onion halved and sliced
12 large bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
225 g pack chorizo picante, thickly sliced
3 pack pack fmixed colour peppers, cut into chunks
150 g (drained weight) pitted Spanish pimento stuffed green olives
300 ml dry white wine (serve the rest of the bottle with the meal)
300 ml chicken stock
1 Tbs tomato purée

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry 1 sliced Spanish onion for about 5 mins until golden.

2. Tip into the slow cooker pot (we used a 6.5-litre model), then fry 12 large bone-in skinless chicken thighs and 225g thickly sliced chorizo picante in the same pan until starting to colour – you will need to do this in two batches.

3. Add to the slow cooker with 3 mixed colour peppers, cut into chunks and 150g pitted Spanish pimento stuffed green olives.

4. Tip 300ml dry white wine, 300ml chicken stock and 1 tbsp tomato purée into the pan.

5. Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom, then tip into the slow cooker, cover and cook on Low for 6 hrs.

Servings: Source: BBC Good Food.



Have a great day
 

Coffee Maker, Bowling, Cousin,

Had a lovely time Monday evening, I decided to clean the coffee pot. That went OK, but I decided it needed a bit more so sent some more vinegar water down it, next thing I knew, there was water leaking all over the place and Matt and I cleaning up everywhere. Decided to let it cool and try again, same thing!! I finally tried it, once more, but this time kept it in the sink just in case, yup it leaked all over again. Just water, not coffee. So that was the end of that machine. Luckily, I had a brand new one in a closet. Not sure how long I have had it, the warranty is probably expired, nevertheless it should work for a long while. I think this is the one I have, not totally sure. Looks similar anyway. I am so glad we had that one in the cupboard. I would be lost without my decaf coffee.

Didn't have a very good game on Monday. Only the two of us as a lot of people were celebrating. Some teams were down to one and ended up bowling with other people. Having discussed it with one of the owners and his son, we have decided that when the couple who used to play with the rest of our team, return, we will just form a 2 person team on our own as these days we are both so very slow. Not sure how they will split the scores, etc.

Had a delightful chat with one of Matt's distant cousins who lives somewhat up north of us. Hoping she will be able to drop in when she comes south in November.

I tried this recipe out for supper tonight, it was pretty good. Will make it again. I cheated and used canned beans. We both enjoyed them - enough for two suppers.

Stewed White Beans with Tomatoes and Rosemary

1 lb dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini, picked over, rinsed, and drained
1 onion, 1 half finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 carrot, cut crosswise into thirds
1 celery stalk, cut crosswise into thirds
1 dried bay leaf
1 can (28 ounces) whole plum tomatoes, with juice
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 sprig rosemary
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Soak beans in water overnight. Drain, and transfer to a large pot. Cover beans with 4 inches water. Add the intact half of the onion, the carrot, celery, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender but not bursting, about 1 hour. Drain, and remove onion, carrot, celery, and bay leaf; discard.

2. Pulse tomatoes, with juice, in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Heat oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, the garlic, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and garlic are tender but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and rosemary. Bring to a boil.

3. Add beans, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomato sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm, and drizzle with oil just before serving.

Servings: 8

Source: Martha Stewart

Have a great day

Pain, Solar Panels,

Pain in Canada. This article was given to me,  by my doctor, when she was telling me how and why I was being treated like an addict - she told me it made interesting reading. She was right, it does. My Year on Death Row This is from a woman who has worse pain trouble than I do. Suicide has been on her horizon because of such extreme pain. I am not really surprised. The situation in Canada is ridiculous. Basically if you are in pain and take pain pills, you are an addict!!! I have been given Lyrica which, at the moment is doing nothing for pain but it sends me to sleep all the  time. I am being weaned off my Tylenol 3 and if at the end,  I am still in pain, surprise, surprise, they will send  me to a Methadone clinic!!!!!!! Sorry, but I object to being treated like an addict. There are doctors who have lost their licenses because they are not obeying the new laws properly and have actually given their patients sufficient medication for  their pain. I have posted a lot of this on Facebook and am requesting those who can, to share.

Can't remember if I have mentioned this before, but I was re-reading a blog - A View from The Bench - about their installation of solar panels. My comment was surprise it has taken so long for North America to catch on to solar. I was in Greece 60 years ago and they were installing solar panels all over. The farmer at the asparagus farm I go to, has installed solar panels on his home and some farm buildings. A few years ago, he had a field which was going to lie fallow for 20 years so he applied to the local council to be allowed to install solar panels. In the end, they wouldn't let him do so. How stupid he could have provided a lot of power to the local grid.

Bon Appétit have a few Bean recipes I thought I might try. This is one of them.

Sausage, Greens and Beans Pasta

1/3 cup olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary
8 oz spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas or cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed, patted dry
¼ cup dry white wine
12 oz paccheri, rigatoni, or other large tubular pasta
Kosher salt
8 cups (lightly packed) torn escarole, kale, or Swiss chard leaves
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs unsalted butter

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Fry rosemary, turning, until crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

2. Add sausage to same pot and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.

3. Add chickpeas to pot and cook, tossing occasionally and mashing some chickpeas with spoon, until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer about half of chickpeas to plate with sausage. Add wine to pot, bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions.

5. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to pot with chickpeas and add escarole and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook, tossing often, until escarole is wilted, pasta is al dente, and sauce is thickened, about 4 minutes. Add another ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid, then gradually add ½ cup cheese, tossing until melted and dissolved into a luxurious, glossy sauce. Thin with more pasta cooking liquid if needed. Season with pepper, and more salt if needed. Add butter and toss to combine, then mix in reserved sausage and chickpeas.

6. Divide pasta among bowls. Crumble rosemary over top and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese.

Servings: 4

Author: Claire Saffitz
Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

Happy Thanksgiving Canada

I cooked our stuffed turkey breast on Saturday and it was pretty good, we both enjoyed it. I also found a cabbage and mushroom dish which I served with it. I followed it with Chocolate Lava Cakes with cream. I had a little problem with the Cabbage recipe, it doesn't say drain the cabbage or not, so I drained it and then realised that I needed the stock so I added wine and it turned out fine. I have also added don't drain to the  recipe.

Green Cabbage and Mushrooms

1 small green cabbage, cored and diced, about 6 cups
1 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb mushrooms (shiitake, if possible)
1 1/2 Tbs cornstarch mixed into 1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbs fresh dill weed, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste

1. In a covered pot over high heat, steam the cabbage in the stock for 5 minutes until it is just wilted and still bright green. Remove from heat and remove cover. Don't drain.

2. While the cabbage cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok, and sauté the onion and mushrooms until they brown. Add the cabbage and heat through, mixing well.

3. Stir the cornstarch mixture well and add it to skillet. Bring mixture to boil, stirring, until liquid thickens. Reduce heat and season to taste with dill, paprika, salt and pepper.

Servings: 6

Author: Andrew Weil MD
Source: WEIL

Have a great day

Canadian Thanksgiving.

Although it is not yet Thanksgiving in the States, I thought some of you might enjoy these funny sayings.  I thought this was a good one.

 On hunting your own Thanksgiving turkey: “Last Thanksgiving I shot my own turkey. It was fun. That shotgun going, Blam! Everybody at the supermarket just staring. Why track them when I know where they are?” —Kenny Rogerson

All I have to do now is to make up my mind exactly what to have with our stuffed bird. In fact if you cooked this for Thanksgiving, you wouldn't need to stuff the bird perhaps.

Mushroom, Apple and Walnut Stuffed Acorn Squash

4 small-medium sized acorn squash, seeded, cut in half lengthwise
Salt and pepper
2 Tbs (30 mL) olive oil
8 oz (227 g) fresh mixed mushrooms (portabella, shiitake, oyster), coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, thinly diced
2 Ontario apples*, peeled and finely diced
3 Tbs (45 mL) butter
1 Tbs (15 mL) fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1 cup (250 mL) vegetable stock
½ cup (125 mL) walnuts, roughly chopped
1 small loaf of day-old sourdough or French bread, cut into ¼ inch cubes (approximately 5 cups)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.

2. Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Season the     inside with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet  lined with parchment. Bake about 30 minutes or until soft.

3. Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add celery and continue to sauté for 5 minutes.   Lower heat and add apples. Continue to cook until apples become  tender, about 5 minutes. To the pan add butter, sage, and vegetable stock. Heat just until butter is melted. Remove from heat and allow to     cool.

4. Place chopped walnuts and diced bread in a large bowl. Pour warm vegetable stock mixture over bread. Using your hands toss the bread until it is well coated and most of stock is absorbed.

5. Remove squash from oven and turn it cut side up. Divide the stuffing among each squash half; spoon the stuffing into the cavity of each squash until filled. Return to 350°F/175°C oven and bake until stuffing is golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes.

6. Serve hot alongside a festive ham or weeknight roast chicken.

7. Serve and Enjoy!

Servings: 8


Tip: Use Ontario Idared, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, or Empire  apples.

Source: Mushroom Canada and Ontario Apple Growers

Have a great weekend and Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends.

Missing Blog, Thanksgiving,

Sorry no blog yesterday, was a bit under the weather. Still am, not bowling today.  My IBS is playing me up.

By the way, on Tuesday I got the results from my Ultra Sound and, just as I thought, I am suffering from venous deficiency, i.e. not enough blood getting to my legs. The study compared to an ultra sound I had in 2017. One of the things mentioned on the results is dyslipidemia. Never heard of it so Googled. Reading to the bottom it says:

You could have dyslipidemia and never know it. Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol doesn’t have obvious symptoms. It’s often discovered during a routine blood test.

However, dyslipidemia can lead to cardiovascular disease, which can be symptomatic. High LDL cholesterol levels are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), which is blockage in the arteries of your heart, and peripheral artery disease (PAD), which is blockage in the arteries of your legs. CAD can lead to chest pain and eventually a heart attack. The main symptom of PAD is leg pain when walking. I  have been putting up with pain in my legs for a few years now and nobody knew this before!!!

On the advice of the Manager of the Click and Collect Department at my grocery, I have decided to try a stuffed breast of turkey for our Thanksgiving Dinner. It apparently takes 2 1/2 to 3 hrs to cook and will be a reasonable size for Matt and I. The picture looks good of course. I hope it will turn out to be as good as it looks. We will be having our dinner on Saturday. I have been toying with the idea of getting more pre-prepared meals to save me spending so long in the kitchen when it hurts. However, from the above, maybe I won't be doing that anyway.

I thought this sounded a very unusual recipe. Chorizo is certainly available round here. We have a strong Portuguese contingent in the next town. They look absolutely delicious. I first 'met' chorizo in Spain where my parents lived for a few years.

Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeded
1 lb chorizo sausage
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
chopped fresh parsley
chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato soup

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Place peppers in boiling water, and cook 5 minutes. Remove, and set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. In a large skillet, cook chorizo until almost brown. Drain fat. Stir in celery, carrots, onions, and garlic. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, basil, rice, and water. Cover, and simmer until rice is cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and mix in Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Mozzarella cheeses.

4. Place peppers upright on a baking sheet. Stuff each pepper with the chorizo mixture. Sprinkle extra cheese on top.

5. In a small bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to give the soup the consistency of gravy. Pour generously over peppers. Cover with foil.

6. Bake in preheated oven about 30 minutes.

Servings: 6

Source: AllRecipes
Author: MALAPSO

Author Notes
Aluminum foil helps keep food moist, ensures it cooks evenly, keeps leftovers fresh, and makes clean-up easy.

Have a great day
 

Bloody Government

I am not a very happy camper at the moment. To start off, went for a 5 p.m. appointment with the doctor to discuss the ultra sound I had. Apparently there are blockages which is why I am going for a CT Angiogram. Fine. But - we both wanted some Tylenol 3 for our aches and pains. You should see all the hoo ha we have to go through. The government, in its wisdom, seem to have decided that anyone taking Tylenol 3 must be addicted and therefore has to be weaned off. We have both been given decreased scrips decreasing the amount we are given over a period of time. Bugger whether we are in major pain or not. If  we are still in pain (you think) we will be sent to a methadone clinic where we will be given some other medication which is non addictive. Tylenol 3 is an opioid apparently and people are dying, in Canada, at the rate of 11 a day because of opioids. This means the rest of us have to be punished by withdrawing our pain meds. This is bad enough for Matt and I, but for people in major pain all the time will also have to go through this process. I don't understand the thinking. In our case, there is no way Matt and I are addicted, but we are in pain. I am seriously thinking I had better start making some noise. We both had to answer masses of questions then complete a form and do a urine test. We have now got prescriptions which get less every time you need a refill and if you run out before the specified date, tough bananas. Hurt you oldster, hurt.

In my case, I have been given a scrip for Lyrica but she is holding off on Matt for now because he has two new meds from the Geriatric Clinic. I guess she will put him on Lyrica later. But, if Lyrica was any good, surely they would have recommended it before!!!

So, sorry, I am somewhat annoyed and not really in the mood to say anything else nor to look for a suitable recipe.

Have a great day
 

ISWG Anthology, Present, Bowling,

ISWG are presently looking for authors of YA short stories with the theme as shown below. These anthologies seem to get a pretty wide audience so I do hope you will consider submitting a story.

The annual IWSG Anthology Contest is open now! YA Romance, theme: masquerade. Get the details - http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2018/08/the-2018-annual-iwsg-anthology-contest.html @TheIWSG #writingcontest 

Unfortunately I don't write stories. I used to write poetry once upon a time - nothing like the modern stuff  - mine rhymed which is what poetry used to be all about.

I was thrilled to bits today to receive a birthday present from a group of friends. We are the Dragon Fellowship and I came to be known as Grandma Dragon. I even have a book dedicated to me by Liz Seckman, to Jo Wake, grandmother to dragons. Matt took this photo of me and as I said to the group, I look 100 plus not 80. Guess I am a) a tad tired and b) my back has been giving me trouble and c) maybe I really look that ancient and am kidding myself. Anyway, for what it's worth, here is my great sweatshirt being worn by some old broad. Thanks so very much to all of the group. Can't wait to wear it bowling.

Talking of bowling, I had two pretty good games and we thought we had won all three until they ran the results on the computer. Turned out we had only won one game because there was a new guy who didn't have an average until the computer worked it out at the end. I was so disappointed.

This seems like a good way to cook a turkey. I love sauces of any kind made with Port. As an aside, did you know Knorr is pronounced with the K sounded?

CITRUS HERB-ROASTED TURKEY and PORT GRAVY

1 orange, halved
2 pots Knorr® Homestyle Stock Chicken, divided
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh herbs *
2 Tbs (30 mL) olive oil
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground black pepper, divided
2 sweet onions, quartered
10 lb and a bit (5 -kg) turkey, giblets and neck removed
1/4 cup (60 mL) port wine
1/4 cup (60 mL) water
2 Tbs (30 mL) all-purpose flour
2 Tbs (30 mL) heavy cream or whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Squeeze juice from ½ of the orange; set aside.

2. Combine 1 pot Knorr® Homestyle Stock - Chicken, herbs, olive oil, orange juice and 1/4 tsp. (1 mL) black pepper in small bowl. Rub mixture under and over turkey skin. Arrange remaining 1/2 orange and onions inside cavity of turkey. Arrange turkey in roasting pan on rack.

3. Roast turkey 45 minutes.

4. Decrease oven to 375°F (190°C) and roast 1 hour. Baste turkey and turn pan in oven. Continue roasting until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reaches 180°F (90°C), about 1 hour. Remove turkey from pan and keep warm. Skim fat from pan drippings, then pour drippings into measuring cup. Add enough water to bring total liquid to 2 cups (500 mL).

5. To make gravy, add drippings mixture, wine and remaining 1 pot Knorr® Homestyle Stock Chicken to roasting pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Combine 1/4 cup (60 mL) water with flour in small bowl, then stir into pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until gravy is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Strain, if desired. Stir in cream and remaining black pepper. Serve gravy with turkey.

* Thyme leaves, sage, parsley and/or rosemary

Source: Knorr

Author Notes
If desired, supplement pan drippings with a giblet stock in place of water. To make stock, bring giblets, neck and 4 cups (1 L) water to a boil in saucepan. If desired, add carrot, onion and celery. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour, then strain and use.

Have a great day

Cold, Medical, Junk Food, Thanksgiving,

It's cold. After all the fantastically warm weather we have had for months, it suddenly seems like winter. Maybe not quite that bad but what a contrast to the weather we have been having. Not only that, I am having to dress up warmly indoors as the heat is not yet turned on in the building. I can't remember when they do turn it on, I am guessing October 1, or today, but I don't know. I am also wondering if there is a new Superintendent yet. I have seen the previous assistant, I thought he had quit but obviously not.

Matt had bad back spasms on Saturday which apparently caused some kind of panic attack and I ended up calling the ambulance. They gave him pain meds and a muscle relaxant and I brought him home again. He has a scrip for a muscle relaxant but I am not sure he really needs it. Looking at the scrip I see they have our old doctor listed, but we changed and I did tell them when I was there but far be it for someone to think if I had changed, Matt would have done too. I have emailed them but I guess I should phone and make sure.

Sunday morning I watched Dr. Jennifer Ashton on GMA talking about dieting and junk food. Apparently it has been discovered that people actually have withdrawal symptoms on days 2-5 (I think) when cutting out junk food. They are just as addicted as people with drug or alcohol addictions. As she said, junk food is calorie rich and nutrient poor. Her advice, eat from the farm and not from the factory. I thought that was an excellent motto to adopt.

Canadian Thanksgiving is a week today, October 8. Many people will be stuffing themselves on turkey and ham and other goodies. I thought this would be an appropriate recipe for the feast. I am not yet sure what, if anything, I will cook specially for Thanksgiving.

Maple Pecan Pie

I used the recipe for the pecan pie filling that I found on Joy of Baking as a start and

replaced the corn syrup with maple syrup.

1 1/2 cups pecans
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup maple syrup (or golden syrup)
1 Tbs bourbon (optional)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 pie crust, chilling in the fridge until used

1. Bake the pecans in a preheated 350F/180C until nicely toasted, about 8-12 minutes.

2. Heat the sugar, syrup, bourbon and butter in a large saucepan until it boils, stirring constantly.

3. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Beat in the eggs, cream, vanilla and salt.

5. Spread the pecans over the bottom of the pie crust.

6. Pour the liquid mixture into the pie crust.

7. Bake in a preheated 350F/180C until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes.

Servings: 6

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Cooking

Have a great day