I Hate Shopping, Coras, WWF,

I hate shopping for clothes. Very unfeminine of me, but I really do loathe it. Obviously, occasionally and infrequently, I am forced to go to the stores. Yesterday was one of them. I basically wanted shorts. I supposed I am actually a bit late in the season for that, don't you have to buy shorts in the winter??? Anyway I couldn't find any, maybe I will have more luck in the States next month although its still late in the season. I know I am obese, overweight, bloody big, but I really end up feeling like this picture when I have been shopping. I see women much, much bigger than I am who seem to have reasonable clothes, but can I find something decent, no way. If the shorts fitted me round the middle, the legs were designed to fit three people a side and looked ridiculous. Not only that I was brought up in the days where you didn't have to sort through racks and racks of clothes in the hope of maybe finding something. I get hot, frustrated and very irritable. Actually, I did do well for assistance today in two of the stores I went to, but the racks and racks of things were still there. Matt, luckily, is very good at looking for me and seems to have lots of patience. Yes I know, I am lucky. Of course summer decided to arrive this week which didn't make trying on clothes any more enjoyable. As a consolation we went to the new Cora's in Kitchener, hasn't been open very long. They were having trouble with slippery floors because of the condensation, you could have gone a right purler if you weren't warned. They had just turned on the A/C and it was expected to make it better. It reminded me of when we were in the Dominican Republic and because we got a lot of rain, similar tiled floors in the main building were as slippery as all get out and I did actually fall once. However, I ended up buying a pair of flip flops, surprisingly, which had a sole which didn't slip on these wet tiles. Anyway, I placed my order then saw a notice about their Pacifico Salad which has the ingredients for lox on a bagel plus a salad. I threw them for a loop because they have never served it before in this restaurant, however, when it arrived, it was very good. I had an email from the World Wildlife Fund yesterday part of which was talking about the 350 new species they have found in the Himalayas. To me this is incredible that there are still so many species undiscovered. The article is here if you would like to see it together with all the pictures - the one shown is a flying frog. I quote "Kathmandu, Nepal - Over 350 new species including the world's smallest deer, a "flying frog" and a 100 million-year old gecko have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas, a biological treasure trove now threatened by climate change." I think this is absolutely fascinating. I am running late this morning as we are defrosting the freezer. Not an enjoyable job although much easier with an upright than a chest version. We end up with lots of soggy towels which have been spread on the floor to catch the overflow. I have mentioned before that I get a regular email from Joe Barkson's World Wide Recipes and this morning he published a bean soup. I love beans and as this is a variation on Minestrone which I enjoy very much, I thought I would pass it on. Today's Recipe The Tuscan version of minestrone is noteworthy for the many types of beans it usually includes. The varieties I have listed below are just suggestions, so feel free to use any small beans (small so they all cook at the same rate) that are available to you. Tuscan Bean Soup (Minestrone alla Toscana) 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 rib celery, chopped 2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 quarts (3 L) water Several sprigs of fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage, celery leaves, and bay leaves, tied in a bundle with twine 1/2 cup (125 ml) each of four to six types of dried legumes such as red lentils, green lentils, brown lentils, split peas, cranberry beans (barlotti), white navy beans (cannellini), small kidney beans, baby lima beans, or black-eyed peas 1/2 cup (125 ml) pearl barley Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Heat the olive oil in a large pot over moderate heat and saute the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the legumes and barley and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and discard the herb bundle before serving. Drizzle with olive oil immediately before serving, or put some olive oil in a cruet on the table for diners to add themselves. Serves 6 to 8. Have a great day.

Busy Tuesday, Fossils,

Life is suddenly pretty busy with all kinds of medical and other appointments this week which is why I couldn't write a blog this morning as I just didn't have time. We went to the Asparagus farm in the morning and I bought extra asparagus in order to make some soup. We decided to go to Cora's, in Cambridge, for lunch - we went there a few week's ago with friends if you recall. We both had crêpes mine with ham and cheese, Matt's with spinach in the crêpe and a salad alongside. Very good again. We also discovered that there is a new Cora's opening fairly close to us in Kitchener on July 6 so that is good to know. Afterwards we went to get a foot Xray for Matt and then to the surgeon to drop of the CD. After all that we finally went to Costco. We bought lots of stuff there including a leg of lamb and some lamb chops. Plus some of the haddock loins we had got there before and which are very good. Oh and lots more stuff, told you it was the $200 store. Then of course all the meat had to be split up and put away in the freezer. Don't forget we are not young and fit like some of you so this all takes a lot of effort. Today it was my foot nurse plus Matt had to buy a lottery ticket for tonight. He won $10 on last week's. I wish there had been a few more zeros after that - tomorrow its eyes and the weekly shop. At the moment nothing on Friday, whoopee. On Nova last night there was a fascinating programme about finding the bones of an animal they had never seen before or heard of anything similar in the world. The bones were discovered in an ancient cave in Australia by accident, as so often happens. They called it a Thylacoleo. It was a marsupial lion. Through extensive research they have worked out what it would have been like although they guessed the skin colouring of course, as well as how it hunted and killed its food. They figure it was a very aggressive animal and not one to meet on a dark night which is when it probably would have hunted. There was computerised video of the animal - its amazing what can be done now. I have decided to make the Asparagus soup from Tim Barrie's web page which is linked on this page. It's his mother's recipe. I just might make a batch of the purée and freeze it so I have plenty for future soups.

Barrie's Asparagus Soup Recipe

My Mom's Famous!!! 1 lb asparagus chopped 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 cups chicken broth 2 tbsp butter or margerine 2 tbsp flour 1/2 tsp salt dash pepper 1 cup milk 1/2 cupsour cream or yogurt 1 tsp fresh lemon juice fresh chives for garnish In a covered saucepan, boil the asparagus, onion, and 1 cup of the chicken broth. When asparagus is still tender and bright green blend to a puree (this purêe can be frozen and used for future batches). In a large saucepan heat the butter and flour on medium to make a paste. Cook until golden. Stir occasionally as you add the 2nd cup chicken broth, making sure lumps don't form. Stir in the salt, pepper, purée, milk. Bring to a boil. Take soup off heat. Measure the yogurt or sour cream into a bowl and stir in spoonfuls of hot soup, little by little. Now, carefully stir this warmed yogurt or sour cream mixture back into the pan of soup. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice, or to taste. Serve in individual bowls, sprinkled with chopped chives. (makes 3 1/2 to 4 cups of soup) Have a great day.

Susan Boyle, First Dog, Cora's.

For some reason, You Tube won't let me embed the video this morning, but to hear an incredible voice go to Susan Boyle- Karen Miller (Karen's Musings) published this link yesterday and we heard Susan Boyle on Good Morning America the same day. Simon Cowell liked her as did everyone else. Hope you enjoy it. I love the song anyway, its from Les Mis it was sung by Fantine in case you had trouble remembering, we did. Susan Boyle was interviewed on GMA today, she is now at home in Scotland and is on top of the world at the moment I think.

There has been a lot on the news lately about the Obama's new dog, Bo, the Portuguese Water Dog, who, they said this morning, can't swim. Isn't it automatic with dogs, especially water dogs. Although admittedly I had one dog who would NOT go near water, not sure what she would have done if she had been thrown in. This picture is not of Bo but the same breed. The puppy was given to the Obamas by Ted Kennedy who has a couple of them. At $2,000 a pup, I don't suppose the breed will be over popular. At least I hope not. I saw pictures of Mr. Obama and his girls running around with the dog yesterday morning. Bo does look a nice dog.

We went for our lunch at Cora's click here to see their menu, and were delightfully surprised at the restaurant. Matt and I both had the Panini Crepe with Ham, Pear and Brie, it came with a bowl of soup or a glass of tomato juice. I was then tempted by a mini Banana Blast, as a dessert. I have always loved crepes anyway. There are no piles of fries or lots of hamburgers. The meals come with salads and or fruit and are light and healthy. We were in Cambridge to see our doctor and mentioned Cora's to her, she has been there several times and thinks it is a very healthy place to eat. Certainly a very tasty place. Our friends told us they had first come across a Cora's out east; we don't appear to have one in Kitchener.

This recipe came from Eating Well again. I love Bouillabaisse and this somewhat different version appealed to me. It looks delicious in the picture. Thai Bouillabaisse

This flavorful seafood soup combines elements of the famous French bouillabaisse with the distinct Thai flavors of lemongrass, lime, ginger and hot chiles. Use two chile peppers if you like heat. Be sure to simmer, not boil, the soup or the seafood will be overcooked. Serve with a crusty whole-grain baguette to soak up the broth. Makes 8 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

Ingredients 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 cup diced shallots (5-6 large) 4 large cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 1 5-inch piece lemongrass (see Note), cut into ¾-inch pieces, or zest of 1 lime 1-2 small chile peppers, such as serranos or jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 4 cups fish stock or seafood stock or bottled clam juice 12 ounces Pacific cod or halibut, cut into 2-inch pieces 12 ounces raw shrimp (see Note), peeled, deveined and cut into 1-inch pieces 8 ounces dry sea scallops (see Note), tough muscle removed, cut in half crosswise 16 mussels, scrubbed well (see Tip) 10 large shiitake mushrooms caps, cut into 1-inch pieces Juice of 1 large lime 1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves 1. Heat oil in a large heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass (or lime zest) and chile pepper to taste; cook, stirring, until very soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour; stir well to combine. Add chicken broth and fish or seafood stock (or clam juice). Bring to a simmer; reduce heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes. 2. Carefully submerge fish, shrimp, scallops, mussels and mushrooms in the broth. Return to a gentle simmer and cook until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in lime juice. Serve garnished with avocado and cilantro.

Tips Ingredient notes: Lemongrass is an aromatic tropical grass used to add a pungent, lemony flavor to Asian dishes. It is available fresh at large supermarkets and Asian groceries. Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, "21-25 count" means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as "large" or "extra large" are not standardized. In recipes calling for a specific count, order by the count (or number) per pound to be sure you're getting the size you want. To peel shrimp, grasp the legs and hold onto the tail while you twist off the shell. Save the shells to make a tasty stock: Simmer, in enough water to cover, for 10 minutes, then strain. The "vein" running along a shrimp's back (technically the dorsal surface, opposite the legs) under a thin layer of flesh is really its digestive tract. To devein shrimp, use a paring knife to make a slit along the length of the shrimp. Under running water, remove the tract with the knife tip. Be sure to buy "dry" sea scallops (scallops that have not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, or STP). Scallops that have been treated with STP ("wet" scallops) have been subjected to a chemical bath and mushy and less flavorful. Tip: To scrub mussels, hold under running water and use a stiff brush to remove any barnacles. Discard any mussels with broken shells or any where the shell remains open after you tap it lightly.

Have a great day.