Pangolins, VHS Player, Cheshire and the Pennines, Ultra Sound,

On Wednesday night we watched a Nature film all about Pangolins. I knew what they were, but didn't know much about them. What horrified me was the pictures of thousands of them dead and being shipped to the East where they use the Pangolins' shells for medicinal purposes (the shells are made of the same thing as our fingernails so, of course, have absolutely NO medical benefit). They are the most endangered animal in the world, more so

than elephants and rhinos, they are also eaten in Asian countries and are considered a delicacy. From the documentary we learned that they are very friendly little animals and basically live solitary lives. The sacks in the picture are of their scales which are removed and then shipped in bulk and fetch more money than ivory. There are 8 types of Pangolins, four of which live in African countries and 4 in Asian countries, the

Asian ones have been absolutely decimated  so now the smugglers are starting on the African ones. There are places which are now working hard to effect preservation of these animals before they completely disappear. One of the top film stars in China has made a documentary in aid of Pangolin preservation and hopefully, because she is such a celebrity, it will have some effect. I guess you will realise I was very affected by this programme and their nearness to extinction. If you ever get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it.

Bowling today, not bad, not great. Then when we came home the guy came to pick up our VHS player to see if he can fix it. Dummy me, I had disconnected it and of course we lost the signal but I couldn't, for the life of me remember what I had to do to fix that. Screw the cables into the box of course. Duuuh.

I came across a couple of pictures taken a few years ago when we visited a friend in Marple, Cheshire, England, which is where I was born and which I knew nothing about. I had never realised it wasn't flat country before, not sure why I thought it was mind you.

That could be snow covered hills or mountains in the background. No idea which.My geography isn't too hot I'm afraid. There is a ridge of mountains running up the middle of England - the Pennines - and looking at the maps, I think I am pretty safe to assume those snowy ridges in the distance are, in fact, the Pennines.

I am ashamed of what I don't know about the country of my birth. Matt used to cycle all over the country so was much better informed than I.

Being Friday, I have an appointment for an ultra-sound and X-ray on my legs this morning. Let's hope this will help find out something worthwhile.

This salad is one of my favourites. Not made it this year yet, but I can assure you I will soon.

Asparagus and Endive Salad

1 lb fresh asparagus , trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1 Tbs Juice, orange, fresh
2 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs small shallots , minced
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp black pepper
8 oz Belgian endive, fresh, head , cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips (2 heads)

1. Place 1/2 inch of water at the bottom of a 12 inch pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in asparagus and cook until tender yet crisp, about 2 minutes. Place in strainer, rinse under cold water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the orange peel, orange juice, vinegar, oil, shallots, sugar, salt, mustard, and pepper until well combined.

3. Add the asparagus and endive to the bowl with the dressing. Mix well to evenly coat and serve.

Servings: 4

Source: dLife

Author Notes
Light and elegant salad combining asparagus and endive in a homemade orange Dijon vinaigrette.

Try using a sugar substitute instead of regular sugar.

Have a great day