Waste, Bowling, Falling, Bed Bugs. Asparagus and Berries

I am not the greatest conserver of anything, but I hate to see blatant waste. Wednesday I received a brochure from our bank which looked as though it would have been pretty expensive to produce. It consisted of 5 pages all about banking on line and telling me how good it was. The only thing, I have been banking on line for years. What a waste of paper, money and time. Not so wasteful, but I received a phone call from my Cable company the other day offering me a whole range of services - I informed the caller that I already had all these services. This to me is a waste of time and probably money. Why don't they check?

Well, it's Thursday again. Of course I bowled quite well. I was asking if anyone knew a hypnotist - I need one to convince me Wednesday is Thursday when I am bowling.

As you may remember I am attending some seminars on Stand Up to Falls. Meanwhile all around me my friends are falling and ending up in hospital. Turns out today one friend who fell twice, has been running around for 2 weeks with a broken ankle. She was even bowling with it. OK, she didn't know it was broken, but I cannot figure out why she didn't go to the emergency dept. straight away. She said she was in agony bowling on Wednesday, I bet she was. One senior every 10 minutes ends up in hospital due to falling.  It is quite scary now that I know the stats especially when I know three people who have ended up in hospital in the last two or three weeks. Even if the last one was only to get a cast and come home. Be a while before she can bowl and presumably she won't be able to drive either.

Meanwhile other seniors seem to be having to cope with bed bugs again. Trouble is, I am getting

bitten but can't find the little suckers. Everyone at the landlord's and the pest control continue to ignore me so maybe I should do what has been suggested and go to the papers. Perhaps I should warn all concerned before I do so, what do you think? Might surprise you to know that I am fed up to the back teeth. I thought we had got rid of them but it appears that we haven't  Admittedly I haven't been bitten for a few weeks now but that seems to have changed. I have been trying to figure out how they are getting to me as I thought, mistakenly obviously, that I had the bed well protected.

Went to Barrie's Asparagus Farm to stock up on my asparagus and also got some strawberries which we had for supper. I have never seen strawberries which had not developed at the ends and were a hard black knot of seeds. I had to cut these out as well as hull them. Wasn't too pleased, but they tasted good in the end. I also bought myself extra asparagus with a view to freezing it. Last year I blanched the spears before freezing. Talking to the girl at the farm I told her I had read you could just freeze it without blanching and she said they always recommended that method but to make sure they are totally dry. When I got home, I shoved a couple of spears in the freezer and will see what they are like in a couple of days.

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic-Lemon Sauce

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds), trimmed

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbs low-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbs shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs water
2 anchovy fillets, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 chopped hard-boiled eggs (optional; see Tip)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Toss asparagus with oil and salt in a large bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and roast, stirring once halfway through, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Combine mayonnaise, Parmesan, water, anchovies, garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. To serve, drizzle the asparagus with the sauce and top with hard-boiled egg (if using).

Servings: 4

Tips
Tip: To hard-boil eggs, place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water and cover the eggs with cold water. Let stand until cool enough to handle before peeling. I always refresh the water several times and if in a hurry, add ice to the water.

Source: Eating Well

Have a great day
 

Bugs

Then I forgot to post this anyway.

The paragraph below is what I wrote to a friend on Sunday.

Meanwhile, back at our ranch, Matt mentioned blood spots on his sheets. This morning we stripped his bed and took off the mattress and box spring. Both of which are covered in a special bug proof cover. Only trouble is the one on the box spring is full of tears and rips and the bed bugs were having quite a few parties underneath the spring. To say I am teed off with the pest control people is to put it mildly. I ended up killing every bug I could find and spraying Diatomaceous earth everywhere and patched every hole I could find with duct tape. Bed clothes going through the laundry machines as we speak. Matt is totally unaware of being bitten. We don`t share a bed any more, boy am I glad. At the moment my bed is fine. Hopefully by tonight his will be too. Tomorrow I will be bitching at somebody, not sure who. The box spring cover they put on is absolutely useless. They put two on Matt’s bed but only one on mine. I sent for one from Amazon.ca and it is much better quality although cheaper than if I had bought covers from them. The one’s they used came free with the service. Ha Ha. So I am not a happy camper again.

That's it from me today, just not in the mood to do a proper blog.

Have a great day

A to Z

A quick note to everyone - the bugs are back. My time is therefore going to be much occupied once again with laundering and packing stuff for the pest control to come once more.

I will visit you as often as I can, but if I don't get there right away, please forgive me.

Have a great day
 

Laundry Increase, Exercises, Pest Control, Bowling, Lamb,

One more day!!

In my bed bug saga I have mentioned the vast sums of money we have been spending on laundry. Just to encourage us, the laundry owners have put the price up by 25 cents. Not a lot, but it mounts up. It's not the building management, the laundry machines are contracted out.

Also, I said exercises were starting on Wednesday. Two people, one from the Community Services Group and one from the building management called me early to tell me they were postponed for a week. The realty owner was very apologetic.

This morning, Thursday, we have to get up at the crack of dawn because the Pest Control company is coming to inspect us. (Don't they know retired people don't necessarily prepare for the day that early?) I honestly don't know if we still have bed bugs or not. Haven't seen any and have slept quite peacefully for the best part of a week now although I am still nervous going to bed. Our beds are still surrounded by Diatomaceous Earth which is marvellous stuff in my opinion. Wish I hadn't taken notice of the Pest people and tried it out earlier, look at the misery I would have been saved. Mind you I hadn't found the very helpful videos about using it then either.

Thursday afternoon we bowl. More finger crossing please, but my shoulder hasn't been giving me a problem so hopefully things will be better.

I tried the Lamb Stew and Black Olives recipe for Wednesday night supper. Of course mine was pre-cooked lamb so I just added it in long enough to warm through before I was ready to serve. It turned out very well. I think it would work very well with other meats too and will be experimenting.

I got an email today heading Recipes using Leftover Chocolate. What is that?

Here is a vegetarian recipe which I thought sounded good. I love mushrooms and there are lots in this dish.

Spaghetti with Mushroom Bolognese

SERVINGS: 4

Three kinds of mushroom plus eggplant and carrots come together in this satisfying vegetarian

Bolognese from F&W's Kay Chun. Miso is the secret ingredient that adds extra seasoning and depth of flavor.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 baby eggplant (8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 pound cremini mushrooms, one-fourth sliced, the rest cut into 1/4-inch dice
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut into 1/4-inch dice
Kosher salt
Pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon white miso
One 2-inch chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus grated cheese for serving
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
1 thyme sprig
1/2 teaspoon turbinado sugar
12 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons chopped parsley


HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
In a small bowl, cover the porcini with 1 cup of boiling water; soak until softened, about 30 minutes. Finely chop the porcini, discarding any tough bits. Pour off and reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.
In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and carrots and cook over moderate heat until light golden, about 8 minutes. Add the eggplant and 2 tablespoons of the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 minutes. Stir in the cremini, shiitake, chopped porcini and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and miso and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chunk of cheese, the tomatoes and their juices, the thyme, sugar and reserved mushroom soaking liquid and bring to a simmer.

Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig; season the sauce with salt and pepper. 

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
Add the pasta, pasta water and parsley to the sauce; toss to coat. Serve in bowls, topped with grated cheese.

MAKE AHEAD

The mushroom Bolognese can be refrigerated for 2 days.
Have a great day
 

Good Friday, Bugs, Bowling,

Happy Easter to you all. I hope you enjoy it and it relaxes you for a day or two.

Matt and I will be munching on Hot Cross Buns for breakfast today. Then there are some Lindt gold bunnies hiding somewhere. Normally we only have one each of course, but this year there was a shopping goof. I am not complaining.

Thursday I had an email from a friend in the building about something different. However, she added a paragraph which is so very apt. I thought I would share it with you and maybe with our realtors next week. With regard to the bed bug situation, both pest control and Schiketanz need to realize that many seniors do not have the stamina it takes to prepare an apartment for treatment. Also, some of us don't have the resources or family nearby to help us with any heavy work. It's unfortunate they don't understand that people slow down as they age and most of us do the best we can. It would probably save Schiketanz a lot of money if they hired someone to do both the prep work and the pest control for those who aren't able. I think they should make that investment for Joe (the neighbour where it started, for us anyway) and you and in my mind, that's the only solution that makes any sense. Stamina was a good word for her to use and one which didn't occur to me. It is also true that Matt and I do not have any family to help us as others do nor the finances to pay professionals to help us.

Bowling was useless today. I managed to get past the 100 every time, but that was about it. Matt bowled better than I but even he didn't bowl terribly well.  I was blaming it on my hip and said Matt could plead his chin which looks a right mess at the moment. He is telling everyone I beat him up. He certainly has more bruising than he did for his previous basel cell op. He does look like someone has been using him as a punching bag.

I couldn't resist sharing this recipe when I found it Thursday morning. Bit late for Easter but you could shop and make on Saturday if you were sufficiently keen I guess.

Bunny-Bottom Pudding Cookies

Kraft Kitchens

2 cups flour
1 pkg (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
4 oz (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
4-1/2 tsp milk
few drops red food coloring
12 large JET-PUFFED Marshmallows
24 JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Combine flour, dry pudding mix, baking soda and salt. Beat 3/4 cup butter and brown sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in egg, then vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well after each addition.

3. Roll dough into 24 balls, each about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets; flatten with bottom of cup.

4. Bake 10 to 12 min. or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 3 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

5. Beat cream cheese, remaining butter, powdered sugar and milk with mixer until blended. Reserve 2 Tbsp. cream cheese frosting; spread remaining frosting onto cookies. Mix reserved frosting and food coloring until blended.

6. Use kitchen shears to cut each large marshmallow crosswise into 4 pieces. Top cookies with marshmallows as shown in photo. Spoon tinted frosting into small resealable plastic bag; cut small piece off one bottom corner of bag. Use to decorate marshmallow pieces as shown.

Servings: 24 - 1 cookie each

Have a great Easter.
 

Belgium, Bugs, Bursitis, Balconies,

The Belgian coast used to be a stomping ground for my family and I many years ago. It was so sad to hear the news today. However, this is being well covered by everyone so this is my only reference to it. My heartfelt sympathies go to the people of Belgium.

We have been pursuing our personal battle today. I showed you the pix of the diatomaceous earth round my bed, today we put a ring round Matt's bed. We took the bedding off both beds and laundered it or ran it through the dryer. Whilst working on Matt's bed I was horrified to find a nest of bugs on his box spring. Luckily I had my steamer going so I grabbed it and steamed those perishers to death. Of course it's all my fault for not co-operating! I was talking to a woman in the laundry room and she had the sniffer dog in her apartment (she had to pay for it??) and they said she was clear and as she had so much leather furniture, the bugs didn't nest there. Tommy rot. I googled; bed bugs will nest anywhere. They prefer to be near their feeding station though. Not only that, a woman on our wing had the sniffer dog in and was pronounced clear but it turned out she did have them. So much for sniffer dogs. In case you are wondering the bugs emit a smell I am told.

Had to pick up the cortisone for my injection but it is still a way away yet. My bursitis is causing me problems in bed at night. Have big trouble getting comfortable. Same woman in the laundry room was under the impression she had to pay for a cortisone injection. I assured her that she did not. There's a lot of us old fogeys in this place. Not least of which is the 94 yr. old who was in the exercise classes with me. She just got a notice about clearing her balcony because they are going to be working on it soon. Said she didn't understand it. I gather they are talking about doing all the 10s first. Weird. Matt had trouble figuring that one out too. Not sure what we are supposed to do with the chairs etc. on the balcony. Like we have a lot of room to store such things. Not sure I mentioned before that they are going to be doing the balconies over the next three years, not sure what they are doing but... something. I suppose after 40 years or so they need attention.

Of course fresh asparagus is not yet available here yet although I have been receiving lots of recipes using it. this one appealed to me so I am sharing it.

Asparagus-Goat Cheese Soufflés

From EatingWell:  March/April 2011

Puffy and warm, these asparagus-goat cheese soufflés are the essence of spring. Serve them alongside a big

salad with a tangy vinaigrette for a light supper or a special brunch. Though these are wonderful either way, the addition of truffle oil is spectacular and decadent-tasting.

• 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature (see Tips)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons truffle oil (optional; see Tips)
• 8 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 cup crumbled or diced aged goat cheese (see Note) or Manchego cheese
• 
  

1. Fill a large skillet with 1 inch of hot water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus. Partially cover and cook the asparagus until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain; refresh under cold water. Blot the asparagus dry with a clean kitchen towel, then cut into 1/2-inch slices.
2. Position rack on lowest level of oven; preheat to 375°F. Coat six 10-ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. Place ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet.
3. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking often, for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and slowly whisk in hot milk. Return the heat to medium-low and continue whisking until the mixture is thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and whisk in 4 egg yolks, one at a time, and truffle oil, if using. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the asparagus and cheese.
4. Place 8 egg whites in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer, slowly increasing the speed, until they begin to foam. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and continue to beat until the whites hold their shape; do not overbeat. (You’ll know they are ready when you lift the beaters out and the peak doesn’t flop over.)
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir one-third of the whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites just until blended. Divide the soufflé mixture among the prepared ramekins, filling them almost to the top. (Discard any leftover mixture or prepare another ramekin for another soufflé.)
6. Bake the soufflés on the bottom rack until puffy and golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 145°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overcook—the centers will look soft.

TIPS and NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: six 10-ounce ramekins

• Tips: To bring an egg to room temperature, either set it out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge it (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.
• Look for truffle oil in small bottles near other oils in well-stocked supermarkets or gourmet food shops.
• Ingredient Note: Goat cheese, also know as chèvre (French for “goat”), is earthy-tasting and slightly tart. Aged goat cheese has a nutty, sharp flavor and is drier and firmer than fresh goat cheese. Look for it in a well-stocked cheese section at large supermarkets and specialty cheese shops. We don’t recommend using fresh, creamy goat cheese as a substitute—Manchego cheese is a better choice.

Have a great day
 

Hip, More about Bugs, Bowling, Plastic Surgeon

So I went to see this 16 yr old kid today (Thursday) about my hip. No really, he did not look old enough to be a doctor, let alone a surgeon. I told him so too. However, I liked him and he was very good at showing me and telling me all the problems. I do not need a hip replacement, hurrah, he said the pain I had had a month or so ago was a flare up caused by my fall before Christmas, but he proved to me that I have bursitis in my upper thigh/hip area (that is the pain I have suffered in bed at night) and we have arranged for me to have a cortisone injection in a few week's time. I think that must have been weighing on my mind, along with a few other buggy things, because I felt very much better, mentally, after we left. We then went bowling and I thrashed the old man. Woo hoo.

I had a phone call in the morning from Terry, the manager/owner of the real estate company which is returning.

runs this building. She says the pest control people are telling her that we are not co-operating with them and doing what tenants are requested to do before they come in. Really. I wonder what all that stuff was in plastic bags, not to mention all the pictures taken off the walls and switch plates removed, dresser drawers emptied, ornaments removed from all the rooms and so on? As I pointed out to Terry, we did what we could but as a couple of oldsters etc. some things were difficult to do anyway. We have spent over $150 on the laundry machines in the last few weeks. amazing how quickly $2 a time mounts up. That's for both thedryer and the washer so if using them both, $4. But we are not co-operating? I actually think I am beginning to get on top of the job anyway and once I spread the diatomaceous earth around (Matt says I like that word), I firmly believe we will not need them any more. I spoke to a woman in our corridor who has the same problem and she tells me she hired a company to do all the vacuuming which is necessary etc. and it has cost her $700 which she is going to claim from the landlords. She'll be lucky. I told her my cleaners would have done it for a lot less. I think she was nuts to pay that kind of money. I have also been told, by the same neighbour, that the guy where it all started, across the hall, is not coming back anyway. Not sure how true that is. The super says he

Friday Matt has to see the plastic surgeon about his skin cancer again. Should be fairly easy to deal with this time, unlike when his leg had to be treated. I assume they can do it in their own clinic instead of going to the hospital If only we had known how dangerous the sun was 70 years or so ago. He will not be seeing the same doctor as she is on pregnancy leave I gather, but this one looks just as attractive on line. I wonder if she too will be a disappointment when we see her.

I kind of invented a dish for supper on Wednesday. It was an amalgum of two or three recipes but it worked pretty well. Looks a bit messy but I am no photographer I'm afraid. It was pretty good to eat though.

Chicken in Foil

2 leeks, washed and cleaned
1 carrot
Seasoning
2 chicken breasts
Thyme
olive oil
2 Tbs yoghurt
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
wine

1. Prepare two pieces of foil to be made into packets. Big enough to cover everything above in two packets. Place on a cookie sheet with the edges turned up.

2. Slice the leeks in rounds. Use mainly the white parts. Slice the carrot. Divide the vegetables between the packets and season.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper as well as some thyme. Place each  breast on top of the vegetables and drizzle with a little oil.

4. In a small bowl, mix yoghurt, mustard and wine (not too much of the latter, just enough to make it spreadable) and cover the chicken breasts with the mixture.

5. Close up the packets tightly so they don't leak and place in a 375°F oven for 25-30 minutes. Unwrap carefully to ensure the steam doesn't burn you. Place the chicken on a plate and tip the vegetables and juice over top. Arrange more prettily than I did.

Servings: 2


Have a great day
 

My Buggy Story, Easter Lamb,

My bag of diatomaceous earth arrived today, Wednesday, along with the puffer for spraying it into receptacle areas. I think I am beginning to win the battle anyway with my steamer so this should fix my little visitors but good. I sent the building manager another email with a picture of some of my bites. I got a notice saying that the pest control people will be here on the 31st to inspect. That's two whole weeks. It would probably be another whole week before they would be here to treat once again. Meanwhile I am supposed to lie in my bed getting bitten? I am hoping by that date I will be able to tell them where to go with their pest control. I sent them 2 pix, this was one. The line of red is bites.

Today, Thursday, I get to see the orthopaedic surgeon having picked up the CD of my Xray. I am hoping to call in at The Rising Dough bakery for some more Cornish Pasties and some Hot Cross Buns. They make very good ones. For me, Good Friday needs Hot Cross Buns the same as Easter weekend needs a lamb roast. This is half a picture which has always fascinated me, it's from one of my Time Life Cookbooks. It shows the men of a Greek village cooking their family's sheep over a communal barbecue in the street. Meanwhile their wives are preparing everything else which goes with the feast. I don't know if it still happens, but they used to get a young lamb and bring it up as a family pet, then slaughter it at Easter which was symbolic of the crucifixion. I cannot imagine living with an animal and then eating it. I was talking about a programme called Cook Abroad. The chef was in Egypt and they slaughtered the lamb in front of him. It was not shown on film but some years ago there was a travel programme made in the UK and they did show a goat being slaughtered before being eaten. One knows it happens but most of us are unable to watch such things. We like to get our meat in a nice little packet all wrapped up in the supermarket. I am just as bad as anyone else.

I personally never cook anything special for St. Patrick's Day. Nor did most Irish people living in Ireland. It is much more celebrated here I think. I read the other day that the first St. Paddy's Day parade took place in Boston - not in Ireland.

This a recipe from England. I have never heard of browning the roast before you put it in the oven, but if you have time, not a bad idea.

Roast lamb studded with rosemary and garlic

BBC Good Food

If you have time, stud the lamb a day in advance to allow the flavours to really permeate the meat

Serves 6 - 8

• leg of lamb
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
   weighing 2½ kg/5lb 8oz
• 1 garlic
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
   bulb
• 1 bunch rosemary
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 carrot
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  , cut into large chunks
• 1 onion
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  , cut into quarters
• 1 glass red wine (about 150ml)
• 1.2litre beef or lamb
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
   stock
• 
  

1. The first job is to stud the lamb with garlic and rosemary. Use a sharp pointed knife, make at least 30 small incisions all over the meat. Peel 4 garlic cloves, thinly slice them and prod a slice into each incision. Next, pull off small sprigs of rosemary and push into the incisions,too. If done in advance, cover the lamb well and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge 1 hr before roasting
2. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Heat a large frying pan, add a little oil and brown the lamb all over. Scatter the carrot, onion, remaining garlic and rosemary in a large roasting tin, pour in the wine and stock, then place the browned lamb in the tin.
3. Roast for about 1 hr 45 mins. Turn the lamb halfway through so by the time it’s cooked, each side has been in the stock. When cooked, remove the lamb and allow to rest in a warm place covered in foil for about 30 mins.
4. While the lamb is resting, make the gravy. Pour all the stock from the tin through a sieve into a saucepan to remove all the vegetables and herbs. This stock should be rich, slightly thick and have a great lamb flavour. Reduce it a little on the hob if you feel you want to concentrate the flavour, skimming off any fat that comes to the surface. Serve the lamb with the gravy, potatoes leeks and butternut squash

Have a great day
 

Bugs, Bowling, Cooking, Jeweller.

I am gradually becoming an expert on bed bugs. I now discover that the nymphs which are their offspring, are, for the first part of their lives, invisible to the human eye and even later on still not that visible. Wonderful. I wondered why we haven't seen too many dead bodies.

Went bowling on Monday, of course, and we both bowled appallingly. The only good part was that we improved in each game, but not much I'm afraid. I said it was because we were tired. Matt disagreed!!

Right now I can't cook anything with onions as I don't have any. Put them on our shopping list last week and Matt bought one!! What a nig nog. Not many dishes I make which don't include onions although the pasta I posted yesterday didn't do so. I have tomato sauce in the freezer so I guess I can make pasta tomorrow. We had unstuffed cabbage rolls on Monday night.

Had to go to the bank and the jeweller I go to for repairs and such is apparently retiring. That will be a big miss. I was very sorry to see it. He is a very nice guy.

This sounds a good one for supper this week.

Chicken, Cashew, and Red Pepper Stir-Fry

This chicken stir-fry dish balances salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy ingredients. Spoon it alongside a quick rice pilaf for the perfect meal.

• 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 3 3/4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoons dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut lengthwise into thin strips
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped unsalted cashews
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cups julienne-cut red bell pepper (about 1 large)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Preparation

1. Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and next 4 ingredients (through hot pepper sauce) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
2. Combine remaining 2 3/4 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and chicken in a medium bowl; toss well to coat.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cashews to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from pan.
4. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in a bowl. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger; cook 30 seconds. Add chicken and cornstarch mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Sprinkle with cashews and green onions.
Quick rice pilaf: Cook 1 (10-ounce) package frozen white rice (such as Birds Eye SteamFresh) according to package directions. Combine cooked rice, 2 tablespoons drained chopped water chestnuts, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Have a great day