Travel League, Medical.

Today is our Travel League and we are having lunch at Angel’s Diner, a restaurant chain (not sure if they are in the States) and then bowling at Victoria Bowl which isn’t that far from us although not as close as Towne Bowl where we normally go. Jim from Towne said say hi to the owner, I assured him I have never met the owner in all the times we have been there. Not a bit like town when we know both the owners, their wives and kids. A very nice family. It is also a very nice bowling alley.

As you know, Matt had a bone scan on Friday. We were told the surgeon would have the results in the afternoon. Wednesday I called the office and was told he hasn’t seen them yet because he has been in the hospital all week and wouldn’t be in the office til Friday. Well, after all he is a surgeon I suppose. I can’t say we are very happy about it though.

This recipe looks absolutely delicious. I don’t suppose I will ever make it for just Matt and I. I might get adventurous for dinner guests one day though. On second thoughts, now I have seen the calorie count……. I have added it in tiny figures in case you don’t want to know. I just followed the link below but it turns out it is a place to purchase this Bacon Explosion. I couldn’t find any pictures. I then explored further and found the following link which shows how this should be made. Actually it makes some pretty interesting reading and some of the comments are hilarious.

Bacon Explosion!

By Sharlene~W on February 01, 2009
Food.com


Servings: 8

About This Recipe

"My husband sent me this recipe with a note reading, "You know I HAVE to make this." It is quickly making the internet and tv rounds and I saw it the next day on Good Morning America. It is from the BBQ Addicts website. You can see photos of the process at http://www.bbqaddicts.com/bacon-explosion.html I posted for your Superbowl eating pleasure (but you may not want to see the calorie count)."  (944.9)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs thick cut bacon
• 2 lbs Italian sausage
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce ( your favourite)
• 3 tablespoons barbecue seasoning ( your favourite rub, recommended Bad Byron's Butt Rub, Rendezvous Famous Seasoning, or Steven Raichlen)

Directions

1. To kick off the construction of this pork medley you’ll need to create a 5x5 bacon weave. If the strips you’re using aren’t wide enough to span 5x5 inches, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern. Just make sure your weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with.
2. The next step is to add some barbecue seasoning on top of your bacon weave. (BBQ Addict recommends Bad Byron's Butt Rub, Rendezvous Famous Seasoning, or Steven Raichlen's All-Purpose Rub).
3. Now that you’re pork is well seasoned, it’s time to add more pork. Take two pounds of Italian sausage and layer it directly on top of your bacon weave. Be sure to press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon creating a patty that is the same thickness all the way across. Most grocery stores carry loose sausage, so just pick out one you like.
4. Next up is bacon layer number two. Take the remaining bacon slices and fry them up the same way you would for breakfast. If you like soft bacon, make it soft. If you like crunchy bacon, make it crunchy.
5. Since this is a barbecue recipe, we need to add another layer of barbecue flavour. Take your favourite sauce and drizzle it all over the top of the bacon pieces. (BBQ Addict recommends Burnt Finger BBQ’s homemade competition sauce). Once you’ve sauced the bacon, sprinkle on some more of the barbecue seasoning you used on the bacon weave.
6. Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards. You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll. Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed. Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside.
7. At this point we can start to see the final shape of our Bacon Explosion, but we’re missing one key item. To complete the construction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave. Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up.
8. Sprinkle some barbecue seasoning on the outside of the bacon weave, and now it is ready for the smoker. Cook your Bacon Explosion at 225°F in a constant cloud of hickory smoke until your meat thermometer gives an internal temperature reading of 165°F Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness, but that could vary depending on how well you maintain your fire and also how many times you open the smoker to take a peek. BBQ Addict recommends 2.5 hours, for a roll 2.5 inches in diameter.
9. Now that the Bacon Explosion is fully cooked, you need to add some finishing flavours. Remember that barbecue sauce you used for inner flavour? You'll be using that same sauce to glaze the cooked bacon weave. Using a basting brush, coat the entire surface with a thin layer of sauce. Sweet sauces are loaded with sugars, so they’ll give your fatty a nice glossy finish. Spicy and vinegar based sauces don’t contain as much, so they won’t set up as well. If you’re dead set on using those sauces, just cut them with a bit of honey and you’ll get the same effect.
10. Slice the Bacon Explosion into quarter to half inch rounds to serve. If your roll was good and tight, you should now see a nice bacon pinwheel pattern throughout the sausage.
11. Obviously pork is best served by itself, but if you feel the need to make this meat monster into a sandwich, BBQ Addict recommends placing a couple Bacon Explosion slices on a warm Pillsbury’s Grands Biscuit.

Have a great day

Bone Scan, Bowling, Birthday, Paddington.

As you know, Matt had a bone scan appointment on Friday. Our intention was to go to the hospital in the morning when he would be given his radioactive injection and then pop over to some friends to kill the couple of hours until he had to be back for the main scan. When we finally got into the parking lot (they are rebuilding everything and everything is very different now) we realised it was $3 for half an hour or a maximum of $12. We figured that the way things usually went in a hospital it would probably cost us $12 for each visit. There was no way we were going to spend $24 on parking so we decided we had to stay. What a boring, draggy morning. Not so bad for me as we went into Tim Horton’s coffee shop and I had a coffee and donut and then later another coffee. Matt doesn’t drink coffee or tea and didn’t want water, so it was worse for him. We didn’t take anything to read which might have been better had we known. The technician told us that the surgeon would have the results in the afternoon so I figured I would call on Monday to see if they had any results.

Of course I missed my exercise class. That was expected anyway, but I was hungry when we got home and somewhat late for my lunch. Just as well I had eaten the donut.

Having email conversations with the caterer, she says she thinks the cake is going to look very good from the pictures I sent her. I asked her to include the English, Canadian and US flags too as we have lived in all three places. I do hope Matt enjoys all this stuff and is pleased with all the people I have invited.

Thursday is one of our travel leagues again. We will be staying in town and going to Victoria Bowl which is our alley’s only competitor in town these days. The idea being to stay local in January because of the possible bad weather. At the moment it’s gorgeous weather with very little snow anywhere. Next month we go to New Hamburg which is way out of town with lots of country roads which are susceptible to snow and blowing snow, it’s February, so what do you bet!!!

I arranged with a friend to go see A Bear Called Paddington on Feb 3 so I am looking forward to it. I saw one review which said Two Paws Up but lots of bear nudity. From what I have seen, it looks hilarious. I am so impressed with the bear itself. I was always impressed with the lion in The Narnia Chronicles, not to mention all the other animals, but I wasn’t expecting Paddington to look so real somehow. They installed a Paddington Trail in London recently placing 50 specially designed bear replicas all over London near places which are particularly associated with the bear. The bears were eventually auctioned off and raised thousands of pounds for the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). Do follow the link, there are pictures of all the individual bears.

I suppose after that I should have had a marmalade recipe, marmalade sandwiches being a favourite of the above mentioned bear. However, here is a dessert I think sounds pretty good.

Custard Phyllo Pie With Almonds and Pistachios

Contributed by Ghaya Oliveira
SERVINGS: 8

 
For this unusual open-face pie from executive pastry chef Ghaya Oliveira of Daniel in New York City, buttered phyllo is layered with nuts and baked, then drenched with syrup and filled with rich custard.
 

1. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2. 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3. 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4. 1 large egg yolk
5. 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
6. 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
7. 1 cup raw almonds
8. 3/4 cup raw pistachios
9. 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
10. 10 sheets of phyllo dough
11. 3/4 cup water
12. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the egg yolk, then whisk in the milk and vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, and cook until a loose custard forms, about 3 minutes. Strain into a bowl and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard. Let cool, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Toast the almonds and pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool; coarsely chop the nuts. Leave the oven on.
3. Butter a 9-inch pie plate. Set 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface and brush the top with some of the melted butter. Arrange the buttered phyllo in the pie plate and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the nuts. Repeat the process with the remaining phyllo sheets and melted butter, and more of the nuts; reserve the remaining nuts.
4. Poke holes through and around the phyllo layers with a fork. Using scissors, trim the overhanging dough. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the phyllo is golden brown and crisp, rotating the pie dish halfway through baking. Place the dish on a rack set over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, stir the remaining 1 cup of sugar with the water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the syrup thickens slightly, about 4 minutes. Slowly drizzle the syrup all over the phyllo crust, including the edge. Let cool completely.
6. To serve, pour half of the custard into the crust and sprinkle the reserved nuts on top. Serve the pie sliced into wedges with the remaining custard on the side.

Make Ahead The pie can be prepared through Step 4 one day ahead: Refrigerate the custard; let the nuts and phyllo crust stand at room temperature.

Have a great day

Book, No Heat, Bone Scan.

Friday, I received my copy of The Dagger’s Path with my name in the acknowledgements. That is the third time Glenda has done that and I am thrilled to bits. She also signs the copy for me too which is another fillip for the book as far as I am concerned.  It’s a while since I helped proof the book so I am going to read it again. In fact I will probably read both of them again to refresh myself. The only thing I don’t like, as somebody commented yesterday, is having to wait for the next book although I believe Glenda is well on the way to the finishing line, so maybe it won’t be too much longer. Funny I am re-reading these books using a Cassa Fire bookmark. Having started book one again, I am astounded how little I remember. The main story, but a lot of the detail I had totally forgotten. Almost like reading a new book.

Went down to my exercises on Friday and then saw a notice posted saying that on Monday 19th (today) they are replacing some pipes and the heat will be off from 9 – 5. Why on earth couldn’t they have done this during the summer? With the kind of temps we are having lately, that is going to be pretty serious. Will have to make sure we are fully dressed before 9 and ready with sweaters etc. At least we go out bowling in the afternoon so will get away from it. Considering how many really elderly people there are here, that might cause a problem. I know I mentioned this yesterday too.

When we finally went out on Monday afternoon we discovered it had been postponed til Tuesday. Now from 8 to 5. Not only that we had a note slipped under the door that our water would be off for an hour or two on Tuesday afternoon. Our heating is water based so I assume it’s connected.

It was kind of snowing Monday morning and it fascinated me because the flakes were not falling down but just floating around in all directions just like inside a snow globe. Looking out of the window I thought we were in such a globe.

First thing Monday, Matt having had a really painful weekend as I told you, was to phone the orthopaedic surgeon’s office. I was a tad miffed because Matt could have gone for his bone scan Monday although we would have missed bowling. Turns out it will be on Friday. You have to go for an injection and then wait around (or go home) for a scan 2 hrs. later. Not worth us going home as we live in the next town, not sure what we will do. This is an odd problem Matt has, over the weekend he was in agony again, then Monday he managed to bowl although he was obviously in pain towards the end.

I have always liked Steak au Poivre but never thought of doing that with pork chops. Not sure I would use fat free sour cream, but you are welcome to do so of course.

Pork Chops au Poivre

WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com
Turn your dining room into a French bistro when you dress up pepper-crusted pork chops with a rich, creamy brandy sauce. Serve with roasted sweet potato slices and green beans.


Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 4 4-ounce boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Instructions

1. Combine pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Pat the mixture onto both sides of each pork chop. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge each chop in the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chops, reduce heat to medium and cook until browned and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add shallot to the pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add brandy and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve the pork chops with the sauce.

Have a great day

Bone Scan, End of the World, Prophecies, Mandela.

So yesterday I went for a bone scan, I had one once before but had forgotten how it went, very simple really. I was told to remove jewellery by the office staff, but I am unable to remove my Medic Alert bracelet myself, when I mentioned it to the technician she said it didn’t matter. I am not sure why my doc suddenly decided I should have a bone scan unless it was because my tooth broke the other week. Matt had one after fracturing a vertebra but we never heard anything so presumably his bones are fine. They could only check one of my hips due to the replacement, presumably they couldn’t check either of Matt’s. Something I was a bit took aback by, I have always known my height to be 5’ 6”. Guess what, she measure me at 5’ 4” so I have shrunk a couple of inches. Maybe I need to get one of those things you hang upside down on to stretch me a bit. LOL.

Reading Stephen Tremp’s blog today he talked about the Mayan prophecy which has been interpreted to mean that the world will end in 2012, September I think. From what he wrote, I wondered just how many people do believe in this prophecy  and are worried about the world ending. The thing is, if it ends, it ends, and we would probably not know a damned thing about it so why worry about it anyway. I certainly am not. I wonder just how many such prophecies there have been over the centuries, the Mayan one is apparently open to different interpretations, didn’t Nostradamus have anything to say on the subject? I was reminded about the prophecies of the “old woman” who offered 9 books of prophecies to a King of Rome, he said they were too expensive, she burned three and offered the remaining 7 at the same price, he still refused, so she burned three more and offered the final 3 still for the same price whereupon he relented and bought them. The terrible thing about these books is that they were subsequently destroyed by a Christian because they were pagan. What a terrible thing to do, destroy books. I guess the old woman destroyed a few as well.

Yesterday was Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday. That is a good age. I have written before about longevity and he is another example of it. Considering how long he spent in prison, he is a remarkable man. I went for a haircut and my hairdresser said I was still a spring chicken and to weight til I hit the 90s before we talked about age. She has several customers in the 90s.

Here is yet another flank steak recipe. I haven’t made up my mind yet which one I will try first.

Grilled Asian Flank Steak

Source: Weber

Makes 6 servings

The marinade in this recipe adds tenderness and special flavor to a popular cut of beef. Just add steamed rice with black sesame seeds, some green beans, and you have an easy, delicious dinner!
INGREDIENTS

For Marinade:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup plum sauce

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup scallions, finely sliced

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced

2 flank steaks (about 1-1/4 pounds each)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all marinade ingredients. Mix well.

Place flank steak in a resealable plastic bag and add marinade. Refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours, turning occasionally to distribute marinade.

Remove flank steak from the marinade. Reserve marinade. Place steak in center of cooking grate and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, or until desired doneness, turning once halfway through grilling time. Occasionally brush lightly with remaining marinade while grilling. Remove steak when done and hold in a warm place for 5 to 7 minutes. Slice thinly on the bias for serving.

Meanwhile, bring remaining marinade to a boil and simmer rapidly for 5 minutes. Serve with steak.

Have a great day

Today, Australia,

This morning I have to be at the hospital for 8:30 (well a bit earlier to register I think) - a horrible thing to have to get up before the crack of dawn and get to Cambridge which is in the next town. They will then give me an injection and ask me to disappear for roughly 2 hours - I then have to return and get a bone scan. This will show the medics whether arthritis is rampaging in my hip or not. Guess what, I am not writing this today as I am not here! We are supposed to be bowling this afternoon but I have no idea if we will make it in time. Last night we watched the video of Australia which we both found very slow at first. In the end it got to be very interesting, but there was a point where we nearly turned it off. There were a lot of places in the movie where Nicole Kidman spoke so softly you couldn't hear what she was saying, in other places the boy, Brandon Walters or Nullah spoke so quickly in his Australian accent we had trouble figuring out what he was saying. Eventually the story picked up and we enjoyed it. Although it wasn't really what I expected. A large part of the story was the background of how the white people were rounding up aboriginal children and taking them away to missions, this was just before the second world war. The Australian PM apologised for this just last year. I promised to share another favourite recipe from Microwave Magic with you. This used to be a great favourite. Again, I have not made it for a long time and I am not sure why. Pasta with Onions and Red Cabbage Source: Microwave Magic Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1 large onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup butter 1 large heard red cabbage, cored and shredded 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp paprika 1 package (8 oz) wide egg noodles Place onion, garlic and 1/4 cup of the butter in a 4-quart round casserole or bowl. Cook on high (600-700 watts) until onion is very tender, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring once. Stir in shredded cabbage, salt and paprika, tossing mixture to blend well. Dot mixture with remaining butter. Cover and return to the microwave for 10 minutes. While cabbage is cooking, cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles and add to cooked cabbage, tossing to combine. Return to microwave for 3 to 5 minutes to heat through before serving, if necessary. Have a great day.