Vegas Shooting, Bowling, Gossiping Workmen,

What a horrific thing to happen at the Las Vegas concert and so far nobody seems to know why and interviews with his family are shedding no light on the incident. It is all over the news of course and my heart goes out to the families of those who were killed or injured as well as to the injured themselves of course. A comment on BBC news tonight, the Americans feel the "right response to a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun". There were more people killed in home grown terrorist shootings this year than were killed in 16 years of war. Vietnam and/or Korea.

Bowling wasn't bad today, we actually gained 5 of the possible 7 points and I had one fair game and one excellent game. Sadly the last game for both of us was lousy.

And they say women gossip. We just had two guys working on our balcony for about half an hour and they never stopped gossiping the whole time. They have finally filled in the holes on our balcony so all that needs to be done is to paint the concrete, top and bottom, and then to put up the railings. I gather they then have to be passed by an inspector before we get to use our balconies again. One thing concerning us, our windows are filthy and in some areas splattered with what looks like concrete. Not something we could deal with ourselves and I have heard that they don't clean them either so....??

I rather like the sound of these so apart from saving the recipe (can you imagine how many I have saved?) I thought I would share it. I have linked on the method of peeling pearl onions.

Italian Sweet and Sour Onions (Cippoline en Agrodolce)

These little onions make an elegant appetizer or cocktail snack all by themselves, or you can toss some on a salad or serve them as a side dish with meat or seafood. They will keep for a long time in

the fridge, so consider making a double or triple batch.

2 lbs (900 g) small Italian cippoline onions if available, or small white onions, pearl onions, or shallots, peeled and left whole
3 Tbs (45 ml) butter
1/2 cup (125 ml) balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs (30 ml) sugar or honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Boil the onions in salted water until tender all the way through. Drain and pat dry. Heat the butter in a large heavy skillet over high heat and saute the onions until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar to the pan and continue cooking, shaking the skillet to roll the onions in the vinegar mixture, until the syrup thickens and glazes the onions. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.

Servings: 8

Source: World Wide Recipes

Have a great day
 

Cure for backache? Balconies again, Fondue Pots.Underwater Pictures,

According to How-to-Geek:

Did You Know? Astronauts spending extended time in space typically “grow” an additional two inches or so taller (up to three percent of their original height)–this isn’t permanent growth like we experience in childhood, however, but just the effects of the zero-G environment allowing their spine to fully decompress, free from the pressure of Earth’s regular gravity.

now don't you think that would cure backache? I do so wish I could go into space for a while and find out. The reason I am complaining right now, this morning we had instructions from the landlords to clear our balconies. We actually don't have a lot on our balcony these days, but what we did have took a while for us to do. We have managed to store some of it in our storage room which is pretty full mind you.

Whilst in the storage room, I picked up my fondue pots. Then realised I hadn't got the burners. I couldn't see those anywhere and short of taking everything apart (oh Lord, I have just thought, we will have to that at Christmas) I couldn't find them.

I forgot to mention that our local theatre, Centre in the Square, is going to be running some interesting shows. The first of which is Brian Skerry, an underwater photographer from the National Geographic showing his photographs and talking about how he obtained them. I have booked tickets for Matt and I. The Blurb about the show says "Dive deep into the world’s oceans with one of National Geographic’s most seasoned photographers. Watch as Brian Skerry’s images illuminate the vast, hidden world beneath the waves.
Brian has spent more than 10,000 hours underwater using his camera to tell the story of some of the ocean’s most elusive inhabitants. His mission: to enlighten and inspire people to care about the beauty, bounty, and health of the world’s oceans.
Often Brian’s office is icy, predator-infested water and his uniform a 7 mm neoprene wetsuit. Some may see this as inhibiting, but he consistently delivers thought-provoking and captivating images that offer a unique and intimate portrait of the creatures from the deep, and draws attention to the large number of issues that endanger their existence.
Join Brian for an intimate look at dolphins’ intelligence, hang out with the enigmatic manatee, experience icy, temperate and tropical ecosystems in Japan’s seas, and explore the ocean in search of the first photos of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the wild.
On stage, Brian is a passionate spokesman for the oceans he loves to photograph. His riveting presentations inspire reverence for the marine realm, and most of all, they offer hope for protecting the vitality of the world’s oceans.".

When I was a kid, living at home (just a few years ago) my mother used to make Treacle Tart which I always loved and which, for some reason, I have never made. We even used to get it for lunch at school sometimes. Of course, in England, it was always made with Tate and Lyle's Golden Syrup.

Treacle Tart

For the pastry

8 oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
4 oz  butter, chilled, diced
1 medium free-range egg, lightly beaten
For the filling
1 lb golden syrup
3 oz fresh breadcrumbs
generous pinch ground ginger
1 lemon, zest, finely grated and 2 tbsp of the juice
To serve
clotted cream or double cream

1. In a bowl, rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Mix in the egg with a knife, then knead on a clean, lightly dusted work surface to form a smooth dough.

3. Use the dough to line a 9 in loose-bottomed tart tin, prick the base all over with a fork and leave to rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F

5. Line the pastry with parchment paper and weigh down with rice or ceramic baking beans. Bake the pastry blind for 10-15 minutes, remove the paper and rice or beans and return the pastry case to the oven for a few minutes more, until light golden-brown.

6. For the filling, mix together the filling ingredients in a bowl and pour into the pastry case. Return to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold with clotted cream or double cream.

Servings: 6

Author: James Martin
Source: Housecall

Have a great day