Monday, October 28, 2019

Scary Books/Movies, Abu Simbel, Blogiversary, Supper,

Reading Birgit's Blog at BB Creations, she mentioned The Exorcist and how scary it was. Make me think of the Dennis Wheatley books I used to read many years ago, which ended up giving me nightmares. I gave up reading anything with horror or black magic after that. If you are interested, these are his books.  https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/dennis-wheatley/326641/

My Windows lockscreen picture on Saturday was the statues outside the Abu Simbel Temple in Aswan, Egypt

I was aware these had been moved because they would have been buried under the flood waters caused by the Aswan Dam, but I was studying the picture and realised what huge statues they were and was curious how it was done. So, I Googled. What I hadn't known was that these statues were merely the entrance to an absolutely fabulous temple which was full of paintings and statues depicting the marvels of Ramses. The video I found then went on to explain how they moved the whole thing before the flood waters got to the temples. What an undertaking, but it appears that it was the world who cared, not the Egyptians themselves. I was unable to see the whole video but must go back and finish it. Must have cost millions to move the whole thing starting with building a coffer dam round the area so they could work behind the flood waters. This is a quick video showing what they did. But there are much more detailed videos available.

I just realised Saturday, October. 26, was my 13th blogiversary, I have written close on 3,500 blogs in that time. What a lot of words (blether some might say). Who'd a thunk it.

We ate Stuffed Peppers again on Sunday. I had stuffing left over so did two more in the Instant Pot. Only trouble is I totally forgot them so they were "keeping warm" for half an hour or more so when I took them out they were breaking up. Figured we would eat them straight away rather than freeze them. I find I am getting distracted easily lately, start doing something and then end up doing something else. Old age maybe?

I like the recipes from Campbell's. Gone are the days when their soups were not terribly wholesome. I thought this one looked nice and simple and I do tend to look for simple these days.

Easy Skillet Chicken Parmesan

This weeknight skillet chicken Parmesan tops chicken breasts with a sweet tomato sauce and melted
mozzarella cheese for a quick and delicious meal

2 Tbs olive oil
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste,
1 can (284 mL) CAMPBELL’S® Condensed Tomato with Basil and Oregano Soup
1/2 cup CAMPBELL’S® 30% Less Sodium Ready to Use Chicken Broth
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat broiler to high. In a large, ovenproof non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Season chicken all over with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook chicken for 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown; transfer to a plate.

2. Stir soup and broth into the same skillet; bring to a simmer. Return chicken to skillet and cover with sauce.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 6-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Toss mozzarella cheese with Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over chicken.  Broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley just before serving.

Servings: 4

Tips
Serve over cooked pasta or creamy polenta with a Caesar salad on the side.

For a quick weeknight tip, skip the broiler and simply cover the skillet for 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Looking to make the ultimate comfort food? Try topping this dish with marinara sauce, a meaty spaghetti sauce, or a generous heaping of bread crumbs.

Source: Campbell's

Have a great day
 

18 comments:

  1. Happy blogiversary. As regards forgetting things I think as we get older we're not forgetful we just need defragging like computers used to. Of course it could be that you have quite a lot to think about, too.

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    1. Thanks Helen. I think you are right about the "quite a lot to think about", but I just might need defragging.

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  2. Happy bloversary and to many more in the future. Thanks for the shoutout and scary books I think can be even scarier than a movie because we are left with our imagination making the words we read into something visual. I watched documentaries on this undertaking and was not surprised that the Egyptians didn’t think much about it otherwise they would have thought twice about the dam.

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    1. Thanks Birgit. You are probably right. Certainly gave me nightmares.

      I didn't see the documentaries at the time although I do remember seeing pix of the statues from the entrance. I guess they needed water more than historical monuments.

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  3. Thirteen years! Wow. Congratulations.
    I can't imagine how they moved those statues without breaking them.

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    1. Not just those Alex, the whole temple which went deep into the mountain. Incredible feat.

      And thanks.

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  4. Lots of posts over those 13 years! Happy blogiversary! If you are feeling a bit stressed with dealing with your hubby's health issues that can also cause memory issues. I know when going through tough times I can become easily confused and off track.

    betty

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    1. Thanks Betty. I am sure that is a good reason.

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  5. Happy 13 years, Jo! Wonderful.

    As for getting distracted, I'm hearing this a lot from folks lately. All ages, just not able to stay focused.

    I dislike that it defaults to keep warm. For me, there is zero use for this feature - I say for me. The food takes quite awhile to cool all on it's own. If you know of a way to permanently disable the keep warm button, I would love to know it. Aside from that, I cannot stop using my Instant Pots and now, it's got so I am using two at once, some days.

    Crazy. Love it. Fun.

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    1. Thanks Ivy. I guess we are all too busy.

      Nope, I like the feature, you can always turn it off. I would probably end up using 2 at once too. Just as well I don't have 2, but I find I can cook something, remove the pot and then do a side of some kind all for one meal.

      Ditto, ditto, ditto.

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  6. Congrats on 13 years. You've been blogging almost as long as I have.

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  7. Bloody hell... 3,500 posts!! That's nuts, Jo!! (In a nice, complimentary way, mind you:)

    I just had my 8th anniversary and I'm not even at 500 yet.

    Fair play to your writing elbow, woman!

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    1. Well I do write most days Mark. Come on then, get writing.

      Thanks.

      Delete
  8. I got the books the Conjuring series came from. They're supposed to be true. I was eager to read them, but then a friend told me she read them and couldn't sleep for months. I haven;t had the gumption to open them now.

    I make a lot of Campbell's soup based dinners. You're probably shocked. LOL

    Happy Blog Anniversary!!!

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    1. I believe it Liz. I know how I was with the Wheatley books.

      No not shocked, Campbell's come up with some good recipes. I have posted them from time to time.

      Thanks a bunch.

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