Mandarin, Farm and Bakery. More Buggy Annoyance, Heat,

Going to my favourite Chinese buffet at the Mandarin - I am really hungry for their hot and sour soup, it is absolutely delicious. I enjoy most other things there too of course. Matt is very restrained and only eats one plate of food and some dessert. I am not nearly as good. Nor are our friends. They have just come back from the Dominican Republic so we will find out how their trip went. They, on the other hand, will get to hear about granddaughter Bethany. After lunch we plan to go to the asparagus farm, I froze so much, I am almost out. Also to the Rising Dough Bakery to get some Cornish Pasties. This time I have placed an order so I know they will be available. I have ordered some of their raisin scones. Delicious. I have been going there for a while and always understood they didn't take credit cards. On the phone, I discovered they do and have done so for 3 years. Always had to ensure I had cash before. Didn't know they had changed.

Went to exercise class and had our penultimate session on Stand Up to Falls. Also said goodbye to our trainer as she is moving on to something else. We met our new trainer today too. Seems a very nice young lady. Whilst I was at class, our Superintendent's wife and our Building Manager, called and handed Matt the list of stuff we have to do to prepare for the pest control people. The Manager was, I think, the guy who wrote me that condescending email from the other day. Today, he was totally unpleasant and condescending to Matt and when I came home, Matt was fuming. I don't know who they think they are these people, we are basically the ones paying their salaries. Without us tenants they wouldn't have jobs. I ended up writing to the owner of the Realtor who, unfortunately is semi retired I believe, but as I said to her, no-one else will listen to me. I was really teed off and nearly went downstairs to blast him, I knew he was still in the building. I didn't in the end. Probably just as well. I think I am going to have to hire a company to come in an help us prepare. It really is too much for us. Can't really afford to do this but if we don't, we will get the back lash from the Manager for not doing everything required. I am somewhat fed up with the whole business. We have already made a start. Took all our winter clothes and ran them through the dryers. We then packed them in suitcases and put them in our store room. Of course, just doing that cost $8. This whole business has been costing us a fortune. Anyway, enough of that.

Today it has been very warm here although not, thank goodness, as hot as it has been in certain parts

of the States, we have been hearing some horrific temperatures. I have hardly been outside although Matt had to go for his rescheduled stress test this afternoon. He said it was pretty hot out there. The building is not air conditioned so if you go into the corridors you kind of melt. Luckily we have air. One friend was saying she doesn't use her a/c because it is too drafty. But complains of the heat as well. I would go with the drafts if that was the case. Ours has been running almost non stop for a while. I have been hearing from some bloggers about it being too hot to even go into their pools. Now that is hot - I went in a hot tub a few times down in NC and actually found it pretty refreshing even on a very hot day.

If you like curry, this is a good recipe.

Asparagus with Curry Butter

2 tsp butter, melted

1 tsp curry powder (see Tip)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Combine butter, curry powder, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add asparagus and cook, stirring, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the curry butter into the asparagus; toss to coat.

Servings: 4
Yield: 1/2 cup each

Tip: Check the ingredient label on your brand of curry powder: if it has added salt (as some do), you may omit the salt in the recipe or salt to taste.

Source: Eating Well

Have a great day
 

Bedspread, Earring. Shoulder, Blood Boobs and Carnage

For ages, I have been hunting for a new bed spread. I didn’t want a quilt or a duvet or anything like that, just a throw I guess. I finally found one at Sears, I don’t like it as well as the one I had, but the under part of that one was shot and I was unable to launder it properly any more.


It’s as stiff as a board and maybe I should wash it first. I tried to manhandle it myself. Joke, my shoulder would not take it.  Matt was out for a while so when he came in we got it sorted out.  I am not one for masses of pillows or cushions. Don’t want to mess with that stuff when I go to bed. I was surprised it came by UPS. I thought Sears had their own trucks.

I should mention, having groused about my shoulder yesterday, I phoned my doc and discovered they

are closed for the week. Nice!! In fact, if I really need to, I can go to their main office in the next town, but I started going to this centre because it is just up the road, not a 3/4 hr. drive. I also discovered a blogging friend who has much more to complain about than I do which promptly made me feel a whining Minnie. One knows there are people out there far worse off than oneself, but when you are hurting, it's difficult to remember others.

I didn't do the Blood, Boobs and Carnage blogfest because I figured I hadn't anything to add. However, having put down the Harry Dresden book I was reading, it occurred to me that the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher are a perfect fit. There is always lots of blood and carnage when Dresden is around and many of his books feature the most gorgeous women whom, I would presume, were not flat chested, otherwise what man would describe them as gorgeous? In the last few books he has been signed on as the Winter Knight working for Queen Mab, the wickedest of the queens of the fae. She is certainly described as unattainably beautiful, or wickedly beautiful. So, sorry Alex, I could have joined your BB and C fest after all.

For lunch today I had some Asparagus Pesto (I posted the recipe the other day) delicious. I don’t know why I don’t think of eating it more often. I use it for starters at a dinner party, but never think of having it for lunch. Would you believe I dropped another earring? This time I knew where it was. Had to take all the drawers out of the bedroom dresser in order to get at it. I never do this kind of thing – not sure why I have started doing so now.


Asparagus with Curry Butter

2 tsp butter, melted
1 tsp curry powder (see Tip)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Combine butter, curry powder, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add asparagus and cook, stirring, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the curry butter into the asparagus; toss to coat.

Servings: 4 Yield: 1/2 cup each

Tip: Check the ingredient label on your brand of curry powder: if it has added salt (as some do), you may omit the salt in the recipe or salt to taste.

Source: Eating Well

Have a great day

Bad Research, CPAP, Bowling and Brie.

I have just returned a book to the library unfinished. The story wasn’t too bad, but the telling was long winded and it was full of inaccuracies. The tale was set in England during World War II (well a lot of it was) and I think the author should have done much better research than she obviously did. What made it worse was it was set, for the most part, in the county of Kent which is where I used to live and the setting was supposed to be by the English Channel but she mentioned a town as a close location, which is many miles from the Channel. A lot of the story was to do with evacuees – children who were sent to what was thought to be safe areas. Kent county was NOT one of those areas, they were shipped up north. Kent was much too close to London and suffered a lot of bombing. Then there were several children of one family who were generally not split up between homes. So to all my author friends, please do your research if you are using genuine backgrounds. That is one of the advantages of creating your own world I suppose, but then you have to be consistent.

I am sorry to say my CPAP mask was no better when I got to bed on Tuesday night so Thursday I am going back to get it checked out. I don’t understand, for the best part of a year I had no problems then the mask started leaking. Now it seems to continue leaking no matter what. Very frustrating.

Wednesday bowling  wasn’t much good again. I was doing so well earlier this year, now neither of us are bowling well, nor are the other two members of our team. All of us are experienced bowlers and capable of turning in better performances that we are giving at present. Oh well, it’s fun and the exercise isn’t bad. The worse you bowl the more exercise you get.

I bought a piece of Brie de Meaux the other day at Vincenzo’s, my favourite store. Unfortunately it doesn’t last long. We are going up that way again today so maybe we’ll get some more especially as it is on special this week. Well I hope it still is anyway. This one was so soft and creamy it was absolutely delicious. I discovered they now have an Indian food counter with a guy cooking the food right there. That’s a new one. I didn’t stop to examine what he had but I would like to check it out. I could mortgage the farm in that store, there is so much I would like to buy.

Here’s a very simple asparagus recipe. I must try this tomorrow.

Asparagus with Curry Butter

2 tsp butter, melted
1 tsp curry powder (see Tip)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Combine butter, curry powder, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add asparagus and cook, stirring, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the curry butter into the asparagus; toss to coat.

Servings: 4
Yield: 1/2 cup each
 
Tip: Check the ingredient label on your brand of curry powder: if it has added salt (as some do), you may omit the salt in the recipe or salt to taste.

Source: Eating Well

Have a great day

Asparagus, Cinco de Mayo, Bowling, Brain Bucket.

Toot the flute, bang the drums, Barrie's Asparagus farm is open - woo hooo, guess where I am going later on. I have been waiting patiently for 12 months, well maybe not that patiently. My first helping will be nicely cooked and dripping with butter. I will worry about calories etc. later. Apologies Tim, I stole your picture. It seems, if you read Tim's Blog, they are selling some other items as well. I will certainly pick up some rhubarb tomorrow. You can also find Tim's mom's recipe for asparagus soup on his blog. You can order this soup from Tim or use the recipe to make your own. Today is also Cinco de Mayo which is a celebration in Mexico. It apparently celebrates their defeat of the French at the Battle of Puebla and is not, as often reported, their Independence Day. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in some odd places, in Canada they have a sky diving celebration and even in Malta people are encouraged to drink Mexican beer. It sounds to me as though the Mexicans celebrate in much the same way as the Spanish celebrate their fiestas which are great fun. I've told you before, when my parents lived in Spain we were invited to celebrate with a local family and it was great fun. Spanish communities contribute all year long to a fund which is used to set up baracas (no idea how this is spelt) where everyone from the community can go and get free drinks and dance on fiesta day. The one we went to served the most lethal sangria I have ever come across. My mother was OK they were giving her brandy. I just came across a sangria recipe made with gin, what a very odd liquor to add to wine. Our bowling yesterday was fun, we had a game of Scotch Pairs which is just each matched pair trying to outdo the rest. Then a normal game with our regular team and finally bowling bingo which our team actually finished although not in time to win, unfortunately. We were then given prize money which was either earned that day or over the year. Matt and I both did quite well here. The caterers were setting up by now so we played a few games of silly things like Matt having to sit on a chair at the end of the alley and bowl, I had to put on oven mitts to bowl, what a fiasco that was, bowling with the wrong hand and so on. Then we all started on the food. We had salads as I had supposed, roast beef (somewhat overdone to our taste but it wasn't bad) and rolled ribs again with mashed potatoes which Matt said were good, I didn't have any, sauerkraut, very sweet baby carrots and gravy plus a selection of desserts. We both took cheesecakes. I decided to treat myself to a glass of wine which went down with the meal very well. By the time I had finished, I was well and truly full. When we came home it was a delightful afternoon and I sat on the balcony in the sun for a while - first time this year although Matt has done so a couple of times. Yesterday there was a segment on GMA about the Brain Bucket, wonderful name, but it is an advancement on MRI and can do a much better and more comprehensive read of our brains. You can see their article at this site and see what this marvellous advance can achieve. It is hoped that it will help with all kinds of brain problems, Alzheimer's (which is my bête noir) being one of them. Today they had another medical segment about robot arms but I can't find the information yet, maybe I can write about it tomorrow. I know one of my readers won't be too happy by the amount of asparagus recipes I will now be publishing. Sorry, but its that time of year. Asparagus with Curry Butter 2 tsp butter, melted 1 tsp curry powder (see Tip) 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 shallot, finely diced 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 Combine butter, curry powder, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl. 2 Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add asparagus and cook, stirring, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the curry butter into the asparagus; toss to coat. Servings: 4 Yield: 1/2 cup each Tip: Check the ingredient label on your brand of curry powder: if it has added salt (as some do), you may omit the salt in the recipe or salt to taste. Source: Eating Well Have a great day.