Snow, Car, Shopping, Traffic Lights,

We got pretty heavy snow Sunday night and it was still snowing at 7 a.m. however, it has now all gone, surprising but it is supposed to be spring.

I have a car - whoopee. I went to Home Hardware to get some chandelier bulbs which are difficult to find because they have very small screw connections. We love our chandelier though - it was one of the original fittings in the building and I think we are one of the few apartments who still have one. Then I went to Victoria Street Market, principally because I didn't have any sausages. They insisted I wore a mask, er, I didn't have mine with me, (I have a pretty one made by David Gascoigne's wife) not used to going out these days. So they sold me one for $1. Also sprayed my hands. Of course the first thing that happened was my glasses steamed up and I had to fiddle around until I got it right!!! I went to the meat counter and horrors, only one sausage. However, the young man went and got a tray full. Phew.

I learnt something new today, I was sitting at the lights waiting to exit the street by VSM and I was sitting, and sitting and sitting but the lights didn't change. The drive behind me said if I didn't pull right up to the white line the sensor wouldn't see me and change. I did, and it did. That was a new one on me, I thought traffic lights worked on timers, or is it only a few that have sensors? I felt a bit of a nit wit I can tell you. Speaking to Bob at Meineke later, he assured me I was right, most lights are on a timer, but a rarely used light like the one near VSM, had a sensor. I had never heard about that before.

So then I got home and phoned Matt to come down with his walker to collect my shopping. I knew I couldn't walk with it across the garage, with a cane. I completely forgot about taking a walker so then I parked the car out front, went up to the apartment, sat for a bit, then took Matt's walker (easier to put in the trunk) and went to park the car. I could NOT have walked from our parking spot to the door with just a cane.

Hey, for my American friends, does POTUS die his hair? I see he won't wear a mask. Prince Charles and the British PM got Covid-19, but I guess he considers himself exempt. I can't believe it but Matt said he wouldn't know what he looked like!!

Poutine has never appealed to me, I do not like soggy fries for a start, but this might well be a delicious version. Mind you, I have no idea when asparagus is going to be available because of the dreadful spring weather, spring, huh!!!

Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Poutine.

1 cup beef broth, chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
8 oz mushrooms, quartered
1 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs butter
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 Tbs flour (gluten-free for gluten-free)
1 tsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz cheese curds or diced mozzarella

1. Bring the broth and mushroom to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit until the mushrooms are tender, about 15-20 minutes, before straining the mushrooms, reserving the broth, and chopping the mushrooms.

2. Meanwhile, toss the asparagus and mushrooms in the oil, salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until they start to caramelize, about 20 minutes, mixing half way through.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they start to caramelize, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the shallot, garlic and thyme and cook for a minute.

5. Mix int the flour and cook for another minute before mixing in the broth and soy sauce, seasoning with salt and pepper and simmering until it thickens, about 5 minutes.

6. Plate the roasted asparagus and mushrooms, top with cheese curds and hot gravy and enjoy!

Servings: 2

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Cooking

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Mother's Day, Car, More Car, Helpers,

I am getting a little tired of all the emails suggesting what I should send my mother, feed my mother, etc. etc. I wish they would have notes of some kind saying this person is too old to have a mother. It is getting somewhat annoying.

Then, I phoned the insurance company this morning and they are telling me the appraiser would probably write the car off because it is an old car and the repair bill might be more than it's worth. The garage say unlikely because a) the car is in excellent condition and b) it won't be a real high cost repair. In the $3-400 range not $1,500. Now I don't know what to do. I sure can't afford a new car and I want my independence. I would hate being without one. Besides which, even if I could walk much, everywhere I want to go would be too far away and taxis take forever to come. Guess I will have to pay the damned bills myself.

Not only that I still don't have a car. I know they are particularly busy at the moment and I was not exactly booked in. So Monday is the earliest I can expect it. I am somewhat teed off at the moment and I need to get away. Not that I know where I would go, but it would be nice just to get to Victoria St. Market at least. That is another thing, if I didn't have a car, I would not be able to get to Barrie's Asparagus Farm - taking a cab there would be ridiculous - that would really upset me, in the season I go there once a week at least.

Sarah will be coming on Saturday afternoon to do some housework for me, she is a godsend as is the woman who collects my shopping. I now am the proud possessor of some new sheets so I don't have to rush to the laundry once I have stripped the beds. I can take my time. I just am staggered these women are so willing to help, I think it is wonderful.

Simple and Citrusy Asparagus Stir-Fry

The trick to this citrusy stir-fry is to get your pan roaring hot before adding the ingredients, which

brings out all of the flavors in the aromatics while keeping the asparagus beautifully bright green and crisp

1 red chile (such as Fresno or Holland), thinly sliced, seeded if you prefer less heat
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 lb asparagus, trimmed, thinly sliced on a diagonal about ¼" thick
Kosher salt
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium orange, halved
½ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems
1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot, 3–5 minutes (a drop of water should jump around in the pan). Cook chile, garlic, and oil, stirring constantly, until oil starts to shimmer and garlic just begins to turn golden, 60–90 seconds. Immediately add asparagus; season lightly with salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until asparagus is just beginning to brown around the edges, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, butter, and 1 Tbsp. water and cook, tossing constantly, until asparagus is still crispy yet cooked through and coated in sauce, about 30 seconds longer.

2. Remove pan from heat. Finely grate zest from one-quarter of orange over stir-fry. Squeeze juice from one orange half over and toss once more.

3. Transfer asparagus mixture to a platter. Top with cilantro and sesame seeds. Taste and squeeze more orange juice over if needed.

Servings: 4

Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe and, of course, Happy Mother's Day.
 

Car, Delivery, Supper, Sheets, Visa,

Well it appears that it was definitely the Security System which had been triggered in my car but unfortunately it is taking a while to deal with, possibly because the garage is so fearfully busy anyway, there was some mention of taking out the steering column too. I will not be getting the car back before Friday that is for certain. As I said yesterday, I am wondering if I can claim this off insurance as there have been several break ins in the underground garage. Trouble is, nobody can say for certain that that is why the security system came on. David Gascoigne suggested I should sell the car as it would be cheaper without it, but not so convenient and would completely take away my independence.

I had planned to go to the liquor store as we were getting low, had to use the delivery company who don't charge much for delivery, but there seem to be lots of add ons, $5 for using a credit card, another couple of bucks for taxes (on what? Do the government charge taxes on services?) and so on and so on. I wonder how many people pay in cash these days?

Later we were having a drink, Matt had a second which he doesn't often, then got up from his chair at the dining table and went to his lounger. I said supper would be ready in a few minutes, he told me he had eaten enough already?? He never did have any supper. Weird. What do you do about that, damned if I know.

Tomorrow, I finally have some new sheets coming. I used to have lots of bed linens, some from our first mobile home in the States, plus what we had anyway. Somehow we got down to 2 sets and ladydog pointed out I should get some more. She was right. It has taken forever for them to arrive. I had a notice from Visa that I had been charged for them today plus another notice of an unknown charge. Having phoned Visa and then with the bank, they decided to cancel my Visa card, again, plus make enquiries. That's twice I have had my card cancelled lately. I have yet another arriving in about a week. At first they were going to cancel both cards but I persuaded them not to. Not sure why they needed to cancel both anyway.

I came across some recipes for salmon cakes made with canned salmon which I don't have, so I thought I would check fresh salmon fish cakes instead.

The best salmon fish cakes

A fail-safe recipe for a speedy fish supper - flaked salmon flavoured with parsley, dill and some

secret ingredients

450 g floury potatoes, cut into chunks
350 g salmon (about 3 fillets)
2 tsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp English mustard
zest ½ lemon. plus wedges to serve
1 heaped tbsp chopped parsley
1 heaped tbsp chopped dill
3 Tbs plain flour
1 egg, beaten
100 g dried breadcrumb
4 Tbs sunflower oil
salad, to serve

1. Place 450g floury potatoes, cut into chunks, in a pan of water, bring to the boil, cover and cook for 12-15 mins until tender. Drain and leave to steam-dry, then mash.

2. Meanwhile, season 350g salmon fillet and grill for 5-6 mins until just cooked. Cool for a few mins, then break into large flakes.

3. Mix the potato, 2 tsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp English mustard, the zest of ½ lemon, 1 heaped tbsp chopped parsley, 1 heaped tbsp chopped dill and some seasoning. Lightly mix in the salmon, taking care not to break it up too much.

4. Shape into 4 large fish cakes.

5. Put 3 tbsp plain flour, 1 beaten egg and 100g dried breadcrumbs in 3 shallow dishes. Dip the cakes into the flour, dust off any excess, then dip in the egg, and finally coat in breadcrumbs.

6. Heat 4 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pan. Fry the cakes over a medium-low heat for 3-4 mins each side until deep golden and heated through.

7. Serve with salad and lemon wedges.

Servings: 4

Source: BBC Good Food

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Coincidences, Car, Sleepy, Supper, Knee pain,

We watched a Pavarotti DVD the other night. I started wondering how old he was when he died. Discovered he was born the same year as Matt and he was about 72 when he died. Then I realised, I had forgotten, that he died of pancreatic cancer which is the same thing as suffered by Alex Trebek of Jeopardy fame.

The tow truck came good and early this morning. I went down and he took my walker and put it on the back then I tried to get into the truck. Talk about a high step. Got my foot on the running board and my knee collapsed. Ouch. Managed to sort myself out and used the other leg to step onto. Then we had to drive into the underground garage with lots of bumps and clanks. Finally got there and he had to push the car out of the parking spot and then attach it to the truck. What a palaver. Then he had to get both truck and car out of the garage and up the ramp to the exit. Took forever with lots of manoeuvering and him jumping out to check stuff every few minutes. Eventually he got it and out we went. He then had to get out of people's way. Finally I paid him the family jewels ($169 apparently one pays more for a small tow truck, although it was very difficult for him to get the car out, I sure couldn't have done it ) and got out. Off he went with my poor little car. The garage said they couldn't do it straight away, which I expected, and so there wasn't much point me going there.

Got back into the apartment and Matt was right out of it. I had to end up yelling at him to wake him. I honestly started to wonder if he was still with me. I am beginning to think that is how he will go, asleep and never wake up.

I got out some bean soup for supper so I don't have to worry about it. Thank goodness for freezers. I ended up serving it with Red Lobster biscuits which I had left over. I heat them in the air fryer and they come out very well.

I have been in a fair amount of pain this afternoon and evening, it's at the back of the knee which collapsed on me this morning. I am wondering what damage I did. It hurt at the time. I tried putting some Cannabis salve on it which helped, but I am a bit concerned.

Phoned the garage near closing time and they said they had managed to start the car but once they turned it off they couldn't re-start it. Don't yet know what's wrong. We have run out of family jewels!!

This is a delicious salad.

Asparagus Salad with Hearts of Palm and Cherry Tomatoes

1 bunch of asparagus, steamed
1 can of hearts of palm
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 green onions, sliced
1 small shallot, diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1.5 Tbs red wine vinegar
1.5 Tbs white wine vinegar
1 tsp gluten free dijon mustard
6 Tbs olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

1. Cook asparagus til al dente. Chil in ice bath or cold water. Chop into bite sized pieces cut diagonally. Place in large bowl. Cut each stalk of hearts of palm into 4 pieces and then each into 1 inch pieces at a diagonal.  Add to bowl.  Add your halved cherry tomatoes.  Add in sliced green onions.  Add in chopped shallots.

2. In a separate bowl, add in vinegars, mustard and a pinch of salt. Slowly pour in olive oil and whisk to emulsify.  Add in pepper and adjust ingredients to desired taste. Pour dressing over salad and mix.  Add lemon juice as desired.

3. Serve into bowls and enjoy!

4. This recipe would go great with some anchovies on top!  Also, if you can find jarred hearts of palm, please use those instead of canned!  Unless labeled, cans can be lined with BPA (toxic!!).  But some brands, like Native Forest, guarantee that their cans are BPA free so do some research before buying your canned foods.  Can also substitute hearts of palm with artichoke hearts!

Servings: 3

Source: Food for Rabbits

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

LCBO, Car, GOAT,

I give up. Trying to go to the liquor store, first I went and it wasn't yet open and the line up went round the block a dozen times. Yesterday I tried and they had just closed. Today, well that's another story. The car wouldn't start. After about 10 hours (well it seemed like it) they sent a guy in a humungous truck (I had specified my car was in an underground garage) he said fine, he had a portable booster. We went downstairs and he tried the key and noticed that the car was flashing Security. He tried a trick or two to get it to stop but it wouldn't so eventually we arranged for a small tow truck for tomorrow morning. Hopefully. We have had a few incidents in the garage, nothing wrong with the car yesterday, today the security is alerted. I think someone tried to get in the car. What a bloody nuisance. Only place who can "turn" if off is in a garage.

Whilst waiting the 10 hours, Matt was carrying on and on and on. Although he came down to the car with me, he couldn't seem to remember where it was and why there was nobody working on it. He said I would never get it back!! Been a confusing day for him, been a b""ch of a day for me. As I told the guy at Meineke I was going to have a stiff drink, and I did. I reckon I deserved it.

They are showing Jeopardy GOAT again. Last night they showed Ken Jennings in his very first Jeopardy when he became a Champion. I actually think it's too soon to show the Greatest of All Time again although I guess there are people who missed it and would like to see it. I was disappointed the first time. I would like to see a few more early programmes of both Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. James Holzhauer is too recent to particularly want to see again. We were not watching in the days of Ken's triumphs - not sure why. Used to watch it when we lived in Canada, went down to the States for a few years and watched other stuff (British comedy) for some reason. The minute we came back here we watched again.

I know at least a couple of people who read this blog who do NOT like asparagus, ladydog being one, sorry, but 'tis the season.

Asiago, Bacon, and Garlic Roasted Asparagus

1.5 lb asparagus
2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
4 bacon slices, cooked, drained of fat, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Trim asparagus ends.

2. Place asparagus in a 2.5 quart casserole dish, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, mix everything well. Mix in the minced garlic.

3. Roast, uncovered, at 425°F for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven.

5. Sprinkle half of grated Asiago cheese all over asparagus, then add chopped cooked bacon, then top with the remaining half of grated Asiago cheese. Roast for 10 more minutes, uncovered at 425°F. Asparagus should be crispy and crunchy.

Servings: 4

Author: Julia
Source: Yummly

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Car, Shopping, Costco, Climate Change, Water,

Hopefully this will be the last time heading this blog with car. Anyway, I ended up losing 2 hours of my day, nap time you understand, and spending most of it in the garage. I am now assured they have fixed what they missed on Monday. One thing, I got him to test my answering message on my cell phone and it worked OK. He left a message which I heard, of course, then when I got home I couldn't get it to play!! I really will have to learn how to use this damned phone one of these days.

This morning Cathy got my shopping for me and also went to Costco and picked up lamb and chicken for me. Mistake on my part, I had to spend an age packing the chicken thighs for the freezer. Putting away shopping is bad enough. Hey, they had bananas today too. Very green ones. Turns out Cathy is another Instant Pot enthusiast. With a bunch of kids, I assume she has a 6 qt. at least. Mind you I sometimes wish I had a 6 qt. She told me she is going to try making yoghurt which is one of the things they are always advertising when touting the Instant Pot - never tried it myself, not something I eat a lot. I get phases of eating it and then don't have it again for months.

Apparently, Cathy tells me, that early morning (well Costco's early morning) is a good time to shop there as there are usually no queues. The only trouble with Costco, to me, is that their meat department is away at the back of the store and by the time I have got there I am almost too exhausted to shop. My legs are usually giving me such a bad time I need to sit. I assume they have driveable buggies or whatever they are called, but I have never seen any there.

I have just been letting of steam to The Happy Whisk about two programmes I just saw on our local PBS station which comes from Buffalo. The first one, Climate Change: The Facts, is one of the most important videos made for us today. It was hosted by Sir David Attenborough, supported by HRH Prince Charles, backed by the British World Wildlife Fund with the intention of sending a wake up call to as many people, countries, and governments as possible. I knew it would be on Netflix and for various reasons, despaired of seeing it, however, tonight I did. To a certain extent I have evaded my responsbilities in this matter due to my age and the knowledge that when disaster strikes, I will no longer be concerned. However, I thought it would be good to see it again and looked online. Yup, I can see it if I live in the UK. This is such an important documentary that it should be available all over the world for anyone to watch and watch again. The second documentary was the first part of h2O: The Molecule That Made Us. Another important film and which told me facts and information I had never heard of before and also helped make me wake up. Not that I am sure what I can do except join in making other people aware. Their final comment was something like "We should join the fight to preserve water, our lives depend on it, literally".

Now I am going to do some Spanish and come back here later. By the way, if you wondered where the blog was this morning, some dummy had forgotten to set the time!!!

Once again Kevin Lynch to the rescue. Unfortunately we have just had chicken for two days running so think I had better make something else to Thursday night. Otherwise, I think this would definitely be on the menu, looks delicious. The picture makes me drool.

Baked Firecracker Chicken

Sweet and spicy baked chicken that is both packed with flavour and nice and light!

1/2 cup hot/chili sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot or Sriracha)
1/2 cup brown sugar or honey
1 Tbs soy sauce (gluten-free for gluten-free)
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 Tbs oil
1 lb boneless and skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the hot sauce, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and chili pepper flakes in a small sauce pan until the sugar has melted into the sauce.

2. Heat the oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat, season the chicken with the salt and pepper, add to the pan and brown, about 3-5 minutes per side.

3. Transfer to a preheated 400F/200C oven and bake until the chicken is cooked, about 10-15 minutes, basting with the sauce every 5 minutes.

4. Enjoy with the remaining sauce!

Servings: 4

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Cooking

Have a great day, stay safe, stay well, stay home.

Car, Zoom, April 21,

Tuesday morning I got a call from the garage, they hadn't replaced the transmission filter!!! Could I go in this aft. No, I would be listening to an audio about Owls by the Nature Conservancy, was I free tomorrow aft. Yes, so that is when I am going in. I was asked to drive it as little as possible meanwhile. This is unlike them, but they are rushed off their feet right now. I don't really understand why, has everyone waited until isolation to get their car fixed or something? Nor do I understand the amount of cars out and about, I thought there would be very few but it seems like a normal amount to me. I guess everything hasn't stopped after all.

Happy Whisk suggested I should arrange to speak to my Alzheimer group through Zoom. Good idea I thought, now all we have to do is arrange a time. One of them is still working and is apparently also very busy, apart from the time of the financial year I gather. I also heard on the news that some of the States are considering relaxing the isolation laws, less concerned with public health than the economy.

I decided to do one of my favourites again, Instant Pot Butter Chicken. I ended up defrosting rather too many chicken thighs, but nothing lost, I decided to cook them all. Worked fine and they were, as usual, delicious. Suspect I might have to put some of the cooked chicken in the freezer though.

Many years ago, on April 21, 1952, I was staying with an uncle and aunt and their twins who's birthday it was, and at breakfast time the British National Anthem was played because it was the new Queen's birthday. My cousins tried to convince me that the anthem was being played for them. I was about 14 at the time, but not that gullible. However, it has stayed with me ever since so I have always know when my cousin's birthday was as well as the Queen until today, I forgot the Queen. Incredibly she is 94 today. I don't know when Prince Philip's birthday is but last I heard, he was 97. Amazing really.

The following recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes was supposed to have been made at the Palace in honour of the Queen's birthday. Not quite sure how true it is, but here's the recipe released from Buckingham Palace.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipes

Ingredients for the cake sponges – (Make about 15)
250 g self-raising flour
300 g caster sugar
75 g cocoa powder
10 g bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
5 ml vanilla essence
60 g butter (melted and cool)
50 ml vegetable oil
300 ml milk
15 g vinegar
100 g white chocolate chips
Cupcake cases

Ingredients for the buttercream topping:
125 g icing sugar
100 g butter
90 g high-percentage dark chocolate, melted
(option to also use Royal Icing instead of buttercream. Royal Icing available pre-made in shops. Add food colouring to create different colours.)

1. Cake sponge method:

2. Preheat the oven to 150 C.

3. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl.

4. Whisk the eggs in a separate jug with the vanilla essence, melted butter, oil, milk and vinegar.

5. Slowly add the wet mixture into the dry mixture, little by little.

6. Ensure the batter is smooth with no lumps.

7. Finally add the chocolate chips (alternatives could be nuts, dried fruit).

8. Lay the cupcake cases onto a tray.

9. Use a metal spoon to equally divide the mixture into the cases.

10. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, take out of the oven when golden and springy on touch.

11. Leave to cool.

12. Buttercream icing method:

13. Cream the sugar and butter together, until light and creamy.

14. Add in the warm melted chocolate.

15. If you have a piping bag to hand, pipe the icing on the top of cakes for decoration (otherwise gently use a teaspoon or small spatula to ice).

16. Royal icing method:

17. If decorating with royal icing, roll the icing out and cut into circular discs.

18. Lay the disc over the cupcake and mould to required shape.

Yield: about 15

Have a great day, stay safe, stay well, stay home.
 

Car, Cash, Asparagus, Owls, Supper,

So most of the day I have been singing my little song

You drive 16 miles and what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt.
St. Peter don't you call me, 'cos I can't go
I owe my soul to the Meineke store..

Finally the garage phoned and said they had been unable to find any reason for steam to be coming out of the car, however, they did find a couple of other problems, a leak in the transmission pan and a hole in the muffler. Of course, how could I escape without something. However, Bob, who runs the place, assured me the car would be ready before they closed (4:00 because of Covid-19). The phone rang and I answered "Debtor's Prison" Bob laughed and said that was awful. He told me the cab was on it's way. I grabbed Matt's walker (easier to put in the trunk than mine) and went to wait for the cab. And wait. Eventually he arrived. Forgot to mention, I checked the mail whilst waiting and was delighted to receive a mask which had been made for me by David Gascoigne's partner. Pretty with birds on, surprise, surprise. Got to the garage and discovered my bill was about $70 less than quoted so I was pleased about that. I had thought of going to Victoria St. Market but I was somewhat tired after collecting the car. Just as well, Matt was beginning to worry.

Funny, when Kathy bought me some bananas last week, I wrapped four of them in a dark plastic bag and put them in the fridge. They keep really well that way and when we ate a couple today, they were delicious. Whilst taking two bananas out of the bag, I discovered a $5 bill, and then a quarter. I messaged Kathy thinking it was her money, turned out it was a refund for an item I had been charged for but not received last week. Hey, I'm rich.

It was a nice sunny day for a change today but not very warm. We opened the patio door for a while but there was quite a chilly breeze coming in. I really, really, want some nice sunshine - why you ask? for the asparagus of course. This year it has been doing OK for rain I think, but we "ain't had no sun." Cab't remember if I mentioned that I spoke to the asparagus farmer and he said they were going to do it in a kind of line where you could get bags of asparagus put in your trunk and all the bags would be $10 worth. I checked and I could get more than one or two bags which I can then split up when I get home for my friends in the building who only want a $5 bag. Any left over, guzzle guts (me) will deal with.

Tomorrow I am joining a phone group session on Owls, just after lunch, looking forward to it. Not sure how it works. Think I just phone a specific number, punch in a code I have been given and then listen. Not like the Alzheimer group who are doing sessions using Zoom so we can all see each other and talk.

I was so tired tonight, I had forgotten I had some flank steak left over from the other day, but when I remembered, I did sautéed cabbage and sliced the beef. Followed by some Dutch Chocolate ice cream. It was good and fairly easy for me to do. Tomorrow I think I will do Butter Chicken. Also pretty easy to do. I am looking for easy right now. I sleep lots, but don't seem to get rested.

I posted this recipe quite a few years ago but thought it sounded so good I would look into making it again. I notice with some of the older recipes, there are things I would now do in the Instant Pot but didn't know anything about that when I published recipes then.

Coconut Shrimp Summer Rolls

"A tropical, drool-worthy mash-up of sweet, crispy shrimp and refreshing summer rolls."

FOR DIPPING SAUCE
5 oz apricot jam
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

FOR COLESLAW
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scallion
1/2 cup cilantro
1 garlic clove
1 pinch salt
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup chopped green cabbage
1 1/2 cups chopped purple cabbage

FOR COCONUT SHRIMP
12 shrimp
3 oz beer
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 oz coconut flakes
6 sheets rice paper

 To Make Dipping Sauce:.

. In a bowl, combine apricot jelly, crushed pineapple, apple cider vinegar and red pepper flakes.

. To Make Coleslaw:.

 In a food processor, add water, olive oil, scallions, cilantro, garlic, salt and lime juice. Pulse until combined.

 Then add sour cream and pulse again.

. In a bowl, add chopped green and purple cabbage.

 Drizzle olive oil mixture over the cabbage and mix well.

To Make Coconut Shrimp:.

 In a bowl, whisk beer, egg, milk, flour, baking powder, and salt.

 Dip peeled, headless shrimp in the batter.

Then coat with coconut flakes.

 Fry the breaded shrimp in hot oil until the coconut flakes are golden bown.

 Place shrimp on a drying rack over a sheet tray to allow the excess oil to drip off. Let cool.

 Assembling the Roll:.

On a sheet of moistened rice paper, place a scoop of coleslaw in the middle, edge of the paper (think of it as about 1/3 in from the edge). Then roll and fold until the top of the coleslaw is covered by the rice paper.

After the shrimp cools down and excess oil drips off onto the rack, place two shrimp on the roll

Source: Food.com

Have a great day - stay well, stay safe, stay home.

 

Essential Services. Glasses, Shopping, Car, Walker, Supper.

For some reason, in the morning, I phoned our garage and checked if they were "essential services" I was assured they were although not working as many hours. The guy who runs the Meineke is great and we have a very good relationship. He also told me I should drive the car for a short trip at least twice a week during this incarceration. I then got a call from a local optometrist who said bring down my glasses that afternoon. Whoopee.

Shortly after  lunch, off we headed for the optometrist. Matt came for the ride. Turns out the optometrist in the local mall had moved into a premises previously occupied by a jewellers. He was telling me that all of the stores are moving around. Zehrs our grocery store is in the same place, as is the bank, but a large area is being taken over by Shopper's Drug Mart. The post office used to be in a tobacconist's. Not sure but I know the Post Office has moved, assume the tobacconist has too.

However, he fixed my glasses and suggested that I should have new lenses put into the frames I was wearing. May just do that, a good idea.

I then went to the liquor store and stood in a line up right round the corner, in the cold. Thank God it isn't winter any more. However there is always a gale blowing past the front of the LCBO. There were 6 ft markers all the way round the corner and we moved along like good little children. I eventually went in to the store and discovered Matt's favourite gin, Bombay Sapphire was not available, I discovered it had been recalled, don't know why. Anyway, I was pushing Matt's walker and loaded everything into the basket. His walker has the advantage of being much easier to fold and put into the trunk. The booze weighed a ton.

I then thought I would stop at the baker's and get some more of my favourite buns as I was nearly out. All well and good, intended to go on to Victoria St. Market to get a decent lettuce, the one I got from the grocery this week was appalling, no middle at all. Got back to the car and Matt said there was steam coming up. I thought he was imagining it and then I saw it. Horrors. I went straight to the garage. Lucky I phoned this morning. They were busy, busy, busy. They didn't have time to even take a look although Bob figured it must be the cooling system. In the end, they sent us home, booze and all, by cab. The driver was trying to keep away from us but not really possible. I had a can of disinfectant spray with me, so I was spraying everything around.

Now I had a problem, I have mentioned that our parking lot underground is at the most extreme distance from the door. I was wondering how the hell I was going to get my walker. When we went to enter the building, the assistant super opened the door. I immediately begged him to get my walker for me. He said he would. Two hours later I phoned him and he had forgotten. Eventually, he did get it for me. So - I am not a happy camper. They won't even look at the car til Monday and it was considered unwise to drive it home again. Even if I did, what would have been the point, I couldn't drive it anyway.

So, what a shit of a day. I was exhausted after all this. So I decided to cook something which took some effort instead of something easy. I really am a dumbcluck. I actually made Shrimp Creole in the Instant Pot which was delicious. Of course I didn't order onions this week, so I used a leek instead. Worked fine. But I never did get my damned lettuce today. But, at least I can have my Sunday champagne.

So, even if I had to get on with chopping and dicing stuff, it was worth it in the end.

Shrimp Creole in an Instant Pot®

1 bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbs tomato paste
1/2 cup sherry
1 tsp sugar
1 28 oz  can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 lb frozen jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1. Set the Instant Pot pressure cooker to sauté and heat olive oil.  Add the vegetables and sauté for 3 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add tomato paste, stirring for about another minute.

2. Add crushed tomatoes, seasonings.  Stir to combine. Cover with lid, making sure the valve is in the sealing position.  Set the pot to manual - high pressure for 5 minutes.  When finished, do a quick pressure release by moving the valve to venting.   Add the shrimp into the hot sauce and cook it that way. If necessary turn on the sauté function to bring the sauce to temperature again..  Serve over rice.

Servings: 4

Source: Instantly Delicious

Have a great weekend, stay safe, stay well, stay home.
 

Car, Colour Mutations,Supper,

Having gone for a service this morning (Thursday) they found I have a small gas leak, just what I need, gas ain't cheap, so I have to go back at 9 on Friday morning. Supposed to take about half an hour. Got a whole dollop of snow before I went out today but the main roads were pretty clear and the garage is only "just up the road" from us. Bob, who runs the place, made sure my cell phone had their Internet access. I didn't know that I could get online without, but then I would be charged for data. Pronounced dat as in bat. To me its da as in day. Sounds funny to me the other way. I wasn't sure what constituted data and certainly didn't know about getting stuff on roaming. Got a lot to learn.

How about this, they have found a pink Manta Ray on the Great Barrier Reef in 2015 and they have christened it Inspector Clouseau (Pink Panther if you don't remember). I know there is a pink dolphin.

Not sure, but I think it's a freshwater dolphin, but this is surely very rare. From the National Geographic email which was sent to me, there are, apparently, a lot more genetic colour mutations than I was aware of. I was aware of blue lobsters and black panthers, but I now hear of strawberry leopards (pink hued) blonde zebras and yellow cardinals.

Almost reminds me of the Prothonotary which we used to get in our yard in NC. Nature does some odd thinks does it not?

For supper I made the 13 Bean Soup Dish again, it really is delicious and soooo easy. Today I set the delay timer and calculated the time of coming up to pressure as being 25 minutes, might be 30.  But got it just right for supper tonight. It's great 'cos you can just walk away and forget about it until supper time.

Gotta get up early again to go to the garage. Oy vey.

This looked good, I usually enjoy Campbell's recipes. However, I would never leave the tails on and I thought a little chopped, cooked bacon would be nice.

One-Pot Linguine with Bacon and Shrimp

This creamy dish is full of flavor and fast -- it's made in one skillet in under 30 minutes.

1 can CAMPBELL'S® Condensed Cream of Bacon Soup
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp lemon juice
6 oz uncooked linguine
8 oz shrimp
2 cups baby spinach
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

1. In deep nonstick skillet, mix together soup, water, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice and linguine.

2. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until pasta is almost tender but still firm and sauce is mostly absorbed.

3. Stir in shrimp and spinach. Cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes until shrimp is opaque and cooked through. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until desired sauciness, and top with basil before serving.

Servings: 2

Tips
Parmesan cheese makes a nice add-on.

To save time, buy shrimp that are already peeled and deveined. Leave the tails on for a pretty presentation, if desired.

Try replacing the shrimp with 1 lb (454 g) cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts – just add at the beginning with the rest of the ingredients.

Source: Campbells

Have a great day
 

Mandarin, Car, Card

Went to Mandarin as I said, and had a great lunch. I indulged myself on chocolate bacon, delicious, and especially so today they seemed to have used much more chocolate. And no, I didn't make ladydog eat any. Matt had some and seemed to enjoy it. Because they are still celebrating Canada (all month long) they still had some maple glazed salmon which is delicious. They also had miniature tortières. which I make anyway, and Poutine which I wouldn't touch with a barge pole. I don't like gravy on fries in the first place and fries made soggy with anything turns me off.

On the way to the restaurant, the car was making the same noises as it had done before, basically it sounded like something rubbing against something else. After we had had lunch, it was even worse so we headed to the garage. They took it out for another drive and put it on the ramp lifting it up and down. They finally decided it was the right emergency brake cable rubbing against something. They replaced the left cable the other day. I just knew it wasn't cables slapping the bottom of the car. Anyway, taking it in on Friday afternoon - it will take 1 1/2 hrs, hopefully, and cost us another $240. I started singing the 16 tons story, St. Peter don't you call me 'cos I can't go, I owe my soul to Meineke. I later amended it to "You drive 16 miles and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt. St. Peter don't you call me 'cos I can't go, I owe my soul to the Meineke store". Later on I did a card which I will take with me, the front picture is as follows:

I do wonder if this is an actual picture. They just might curl up in a warm engine. Anyway, inside the card is the changed song. Think they'll get a kick out of it. Really looking forward to sitting there for an hour and a half, that's three times this week. Boh, the office manager, said I knew I enjoyed hanging out with him drinking coffee. Riiiight. I told him to be careful his wife didn't find out.  He is a fun guy.

I had ordered some lamb's kidneys from the Victoria St. Market and Thursday they had arrived. After  leaving the restaurant  we went straight to the garage. ladydog was also going to the Market so I phoned her to tell her where we had gone so she wouldn't be concerned at us not turning up. She picked up the kidneys for me. 12 kidneys for $8 - not bad. So, the following recipe is mostly for her. And for anyone else who likes lamb's kidney of course. We also just fry them in butter or bacon grease to have for breakfast but although Devilled are traditionally a breakfast dish, Matt and I eat them for supper as do many people I am sure.

Devilled Kidneys

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs prepared English mustard (Colemans)
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs tomato purée
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper
2 Tbs butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
8 lamb's kidneys, skinned, halved and cored
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley to garnish

1. Mix the first 6 ingredients together (including salt and pepper) to make a sauce.

2. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the chopped shallot and cook stirring occasionally, until it is softened but not coloured.

3. Stir the kidney halves into the shallots in the pan and cook  over medium high heat for about 3 mins on each side.

4. Pour the sauce over the kidneys and quickly stir so that they become evenly coated. Serve immediately sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Servings: 4

Note: To remove the cores from the kidneys use sharp kitchen scissors rather than a knife. Much easier.

Source: The Ultimate Hot and Spicy Cookbook

Author Notes
"Devilled" dishes are always hot and spicy. If you have time, mix the spicy ingrendients together in advance to give the flavours time to mingle.

Have a great day
 

Bowling, Weather, Car, Pensions, Supper, Mandarin,

So today was bowling. Turned out there were only three of us on our team today, no idea what happened to our fourth member. None of us bowled well for the first two games and then suddenly I woke up in the last game and threw strikes and spares to end up with 163 which meant I added one point to my average. The first two games I barely scraped over 100. Matt was not really on form either and had very low scores close to or just above the 100 mark. However, it was fun and I guess that's really the reason we go, along with getting a bit of exercise. There is a lot of walking involved going back and forth.

Once again the weather was delightful although I am assured that we are in for another batch of high heat and humidity in a day or two. How delightful.

On the way home, the car made the most awful noises, I thought the rear was falling off or something. Went straight to the garage and they looked at it high on the ramp and couldn't see anything so the mechanic took it for a drive - told him to drive on a poor surface which he did and when he came back he figured out it was some cables slapping at the underside or something. he dealt with them one way and another and they sent us back home. Didn't cost a cent either, pretty good of them. I fell asleep whilst we were waiting, never done that before. Anyway, driving home it was quiet enough so we will see how it goes.

Got notices of an increase of  about $6 each, per month, on our pensions. We're rich. Better than a decrease I suppose.

It was well past time to start supper but I was feeling pretty rough, not sure why, managed to throw some "dump and go" items into the Instant Pot to make Hawaiian BBQ Chicken and then fell asleep again. Woke up and the Pot was just about ready. Tried instant releasing but it was leaking sauce so had to turn it off and let it settle down on its own. I then used my Bear Claws for the first time ever to shred the chicken thighs - meanwhile cooking rice. All, so very easy thank goodness. Love the bear claws, they made shredding an easy job.

Tomorrow we are going to Mandarin with ladydog. Probably the last time for their Canada celebration and chocolate bacon. They are also doing maple glazed salmon. Their salmon is always delicious.

Once upon a time, I used to make a lot of chutneys - but then I used to make a lot of curries. I thought this one sounded really good. I had a really nice fresh peach yesterday, maybe I will get some more.

Peach, Currant and Cilantro Chutney

“The day I created this chutney, the ingredient list grew and grew because I just kept adding things,”

says chef Minh Phan, who loves to improvise when creating pickles. Adjust the vinegar brine’s flavor until it tastes good, then add the fruit and continue to tweak the flavor. “The main components to play with are sweet, tart and salt. There’s really no messing up: You can always add more sugar, more salt or more vinegar. If you like a particular herb or spice more than others, just add more of it.”

Five 1/2-pint canning jars with lids and rings
2 1/2 lbs firm-but-ripe peaches
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 cup dried black currants
1 1/2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 Tbs cumin seeds
1 lemongrass stalk—lower third of the tender inner bulb only, cut into 1-inch lengths and smashed
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
3 curry leaves
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 1/2 tsp coarsely ground pink peppercorns
Salt

1. Fill a large pot with water, cover and bring to a boil. Add the canning jars, lids and rings along with a set of tongs and a ladle and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to sterilize. Cover the pot and turn off the heat.

2. Set a metal rack in another large pot. Fill the pot with water, cover and bring to a boil. Add the peaches and boil until the skins loosen, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a large rimmed baking sheet and let cool. Peel the peaches, then halve and pit them and cut into 1/2-inch dice.

3. In a large skillet, combine the cider vinegar with the granulated and brown sugars and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugars. Add the shallot, currants, ginger, cumin seeds, lemongrass, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves and bay leaves and simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Add the peaches and simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Discard the lemongrass, curry leaves and bay leaves. Stir in the cilantro and pink peppercorn and season with salt.

4. Using the sterilized tongs, remove the jars from the hot water and transfer them to a large rimmed baking sheet. Ladle the chutney into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top. Using the tongs, place the lids on the jars followed by the rings. Screw on the lids securely but not too tightly.

5. Using canning tongs, lower the jars onto the rack in the pot of boiling water, making sure they are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Boil the jarred chutney over high heat for 15 minutes. Using the canning tongs, transfer the jars to a rack to cool until the lids seal (they will look concave); refrigerate any jars that do not seal. Store the chutney in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months; if the chutney separates, stir to combine before serving.

Yield: makes five 1/2-pint jars

Source: FOOD & WINE

Have a great day