Christmas Present. The Nature of Things. The Fox and the Fiddle.

Whooppee, I got my new bowling balls yesterday when we were at our Travel League game. I was so excited, they look absolutely great and I immediately started playing with them. Unfortunately we had nearly finished our game so I only got a few frames to use them. However, I got some good points using them so they made a good impression. The picture doesn't really do them justice, they are a lovely lavender colour and if you enlarge the picture, you can see my initials on them. Matt tells me that probably won't last though. I also got a new bowling bag which is also lavender although in the picture I took it looks blue. It takes my balls and my shoes. So Merry Christmas to me. I was hoping to find a picture of a car ad that is running these days, it amuses me, you see a car being bounced around to test its shocks (I think) it is on a platform, the camera pans back and you see a huge robot skipping on the platform to make the car bounce. I think it is quite funny seeing this very large robot skipping. Why skipping I wonder, why not just jumping up and down? The Nature of Things presented by David Suzuki last night was absolutely fascinating. It was all about the work they are doing with the brain talking to various scientists about their fields. People who have been blind all their lives can be taught to see in a different way. People who's balance has been shot to hell for one reason or another can be taught to balance themselves and ride bikes, etc. Others who have suffered paralysis through strokes or something similar are being taught to use other paths in their brains. This is basically what its is about. They have discovered the brain is able to make new paths to perform functions in a different way but to achieve the same results. I urge you to read The Brain that Changes Itself and see what I am talking about. There is also a 30 minute video segment. If you know anyone that is having problems they too should be made aware of this. I have written about similar subjects before and it is something I think is absolutely fascinating as it opens up the possibilities of new life conditions for so many. I think I mentioned we are going to join the Friday seniors bowling as well as the Monday league. So obviously today we are going to do just that. Then we have to go and have our flu shots. Sunday we are going with my young friend from Canadian Diabetes for Dim Sum. I have been looking forward to this for ages. Yesterday, we went to the Fox and the Fiddle for lunch, before bowling and they had pot stickers on the menu - I was tempted, but had their Mediterranean Bruschetta instead. I wasn't overly impressed although Matt had the same and thoroughly enjoyed his. There were a number of complaints about lunch which wasn't really warm enough. I think it may have been our fault for not telling the waitress right off that we were on a schedule. I think they maybe were trying to hurry too much and not warming stuff properly. For their web site click here. They call themselves an English pub so of course they have fish and chips, bangers and mash and shepherd's (which should really be cottage) pie on the menu but they had a great deal of other items yesterday. As some of you may have noticed earlier in the year, asparagus is one of my favourite foods. Looking through my Best Ever Christmas cookbook I found another recipe for the green delicacies. Asparagus with Tangy Herb Sauce Serves 8 6 x 250 g bunches asparagus 1/2 cup chopped chives Tangy Herb Sauce 1 cup watercress leaves, stalks removed 1/2 cup mint leaves 1½ cups mint leaves 1¼ cups sour cream 1 1/3 cups cream 1 Tbs lemon juice Add asparagus to a pan of boiling, salted, water cook over high heat for 4 minutes or until tender but not mushy, drain. Combine watercress and mint leaves in blender or food processor bowl, blend one minute or until finely chopped. Add sour cream, cream and lemon juice, blend 1 minute or until combined. Transfer mixture to medium pan, stir over medium heat for 3 minutes or until hot. Divide asparagus into eight portions and serve each with a spoonful of sauce sprinkled with chives. Sauce can be made a day ahead. Store covered in fridge covered with plastic wrap. Heat just before serving. Not suitable for freezing. Have a great day.

Tomatoes, Supper and Food for the Brain

This morning I phoned the Produce Manager in our local supermarket, Zehrs. She assures me that all the salmonella problems are in American produced tomatoes, and all the tomatoes in Zehrs are Canadian hothouse grown (they sure couldn't have grown them in the fields yet awhile). So, Matthew, stop worrying about my daily intake of the red fruits - love apples as they were once called. The picture of the sliced tomatoes makes me feel hungry. I have had a love affair with tomatoes for as long as I can remember. Their round, rich lusciousness is one of the greatest foods to tantalise your taste buds. Just think of how many dishes, from simple to gourmet, include tomatoes. Because I cannot seem to find really good ones these days, we buy them ahead of time so that by the time I am ready to eat one they are good and ripe. I eat tomatoes most days and this generally seems to work pretty well. I never, but never, put tomatoes in the fridge.

Last night, for supper, we had broiled salmon steaks and I had, you will be surprised to know, asparagus with it. Just plain with Butter Buds sprinkled. I suddenly remembered this was one of the things I really expected to eat in profusion when I came to Canada. I wonder why it took me so long to find Barrie's Asparagus farm? Not only that, fresh fish was very difficult to obtain when we first arrived here in 1975. Certainly salt water fish was not readily available unless it was frozen in packets.

Yesterday, on Good Morning America, we watched a programme about stimulating the brain. I thought it was pretty good and I pass on the article printed on their website for your interest read here which tells you some of the simple tricks you can employ to make your brain sit up and take notice. Things like cleaning your teeth with your other hand. Learning anything you didn't know before, it doesn't have to be complicated, just new. You don't have to learn Russian or anything like that. Apparently even actions like eating with your eyes closed cause your brain to work a bit harder and be stimulated. I just re-read the article and was surprised that I had missed one or two things. I did change my seat for lunch yesterday, then forgot about it since. I have always been concerned with an aging brain as some of my relatives ended up with senile dementia if not outright Alzheimer's. I have never been totally clear on what the difference is. Be sure I will be trying some of these changes.

Today I am going to try making Asparagus Vichysoisse. I think I have all the necessary ingredients. I published the recipe on June 4. Meanwhile here is another Asparagus recipe for you.

Asparagus Casserole
Serves: 4

Jeanne Jones, Cook It Light

4 slices whole wheat bread, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup steamed asparagus (about 1/2 pound fresh asparagus cut in 1-inch
pieces, trimmed, and steamed 3 minutes)
1 large egg
3 large egg whites
1 cup canned evaporated skim milk
1 cup grated 20 percent fat-reduced Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Place bread cubes in the oven for about 15 minutes or until a golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

2. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a non-stick vegetable spray. Arrange toasted bread evenly on the bottom and top with the asparagus.

3. Combine egg, egg whites and milk. Mix well and pour evenly over the bread and asparagus. Top the casserole with the grated cheese and bake at 325° F for 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and the top is lightly browned.

Have a great day.