Birds of Paradise. Our Wednesday.

A friend sent this to me today, a  stupendous video about Birds of Paradise in New Guinea. I didn’t know there were so many varieties nor such clever displays. Do watch if you possibly can.


Wednesday we decided to try for Costco again and managed to part relatively near. Despite the light snow and wind, it was actually +2°C today so not really too bad. We managed to get everything we wanted in the way of meat and pills (vitamins and Co Q10) then went to check out, oops, our membership had lapsed since last July, I didn’t realise, so had to pay it and that made the bill a lot higher than I expected. I am planning to make some tourtières in the near future and needed some ground veal, Costco had some, but I really didn’t need to buy several pounds of it, I only use it for the one thing, so left it alone.

Having broken the bank, we decided to head up to Sobey’s, a not so local grocery store (lots in town, none close to us) to get the veal. We were stopped at a traffic light when suddenly BANG!*!* an SUV rear ended us. Frightened the life out of both of us. We both thought poor little car, we have an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, old but reliable. When Matt went to look there was, thank God, no damage. The silly female who had rammed us kept saying “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry” and Matt said she should watch the traffic properly in future. I wonder if she was texting. Illegal here. Anyway, she hung back and didn’t come near us all the time she was following us. Eventually she turned off. Actually, writing this some while later, my shoulders hurt, maybe we should have exchanged names! Oh well, too late now.

Got to Sobey’s no ground veal, they don’t grind/sell it any more. However, the butcher we know quite well advised us to go to Central Meat Market, one street over. Got there, they didn’t have any til tomorrow. I asked if they would save me some for Friday, they assured me they would. Now all I need is pastry. That, thankfully, is easy to get. I can make 4 pies with my recipe and the bought pastry which is enough to last us for a while. Although I ordered 2 lbs of ground veal, maybe I should make eight pies, hmmm.

D’you think I should stay in bed, life doesn’t seem to be treating us too well lately. Not only that, I can’t apparently bowl worth a damn any more either. Of course when I hear other people’s problems  I wonder what I am complaining about.

Obviously some of you have kids and it seems BBC Food are running a “Cooking With Kids” series. Here is the one I got today. I’m in the mood for some chocolate, maybe some wine too.

Cooking with kids: Chocolate cornflake cakes

By Caroline Hire

Servings

Makes 12 Everyone loves crispy cornflake cakes, whatever their age. Get the whole family in the kitchen to make these simple bites
 

• Tip

  Tip for cooking with kids

  Before you start tie back any long hair, put on your aprons and wash your hands. Make sure your child is stable where they are cooking and comfortable with the angle they are cooking at. As you cook explain what the different ingredients are where they come from.

• Ingredients

  50g butter
  100g milk or dark chocolate, broken into chunks
  3 tbsp golden syrup
  100g cornflakes

Method

1. Children: Weigh out the ingredients. Older children can do this by themselves with supervision and little ones can help to pour or spoon ingredients into the weighing scales. Put the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a saucepan or microwavable bowl. Put the cornflakes in another large bowl.
2. Grown ups: Melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in the saucepan over a low heat or briefly in the microwave. Allow to cool a little before pouring over the cornflakes.
3. Children: Stir the ingredients together gently using a wooden spoon. Spoon the mixture into 12 cupcake cases arranged on a muffin tray (or baking sheet, if you don’t have one). Grown ups will need to do this for younger children or simply arrange on a tray and let the mess happen. Put in the fridge to set.

Or of course you could make them on your own.

Have a great day.