DST, Guy Fawkes, Balconies. Pensions, Saturday Dinner, Bowling,

We forgot, or didn't really know, the clocks went back on Saturday night, for some reason they hadn't

been screaming it all over the TV and radio this year with the result that we had no idea. I vaguely remembered hearing something about it during the week but forgot about it. Just as well it is a Sunday. I just wish everything electric or digital would change themselves like the computers and the TV box. I have trouble with my watch every time, I forget what I have to do and it takes me forever to remember. Then I have to go round changing all the clocks in the apartment and Monday in the car too. Of course I haven't mentioned that Sunday being November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day too. Not sure how much that is celebrated in the UK any more. As a youngster I really enjoyed the bonfires and fireworks.

Having posted a picture of the new panels on our balcony railing we are now awaiting the final touches of the smoked glass at the top part of the railings. So much for all the naysayers who didn't think they would be finished this year. Yes, I was one. I think the windows will be cleaned by the super from something I overheard. I do hope so because it isn't a job Matt and I could manage. Sunday was mist and some rain so I am hoping Monday will be dry enough for them to work.

Monday morning we need to get ourselves to the bank to have Matt's signature witnessed on documents to prove to the British pension service that he is still alive and kicking. As I said to Matt this morning, it's odd we have had one or two such requests for him but not for me.

By the way I cooked the Parmesan Roast Potatoes, which I posted in October, for the second time. this time they were fully cooked and we both found them delicious. My bathroom scales weren't so keen on them though. I didn't do any kind of dip as shown in the picture. Just served them with lamb chops and sautéed cabbage which is one of our favourites. Of course Saturday we go the whole hog with wine and dessert so I don't suppose that my scales were keen on that either. Part of me says what does it matter at my age, part of me doesn't want to gain lots of weight.

Today being Monday, hopefully all four of us will be there for bowling and we will maybe win some points. After the last two weeks we need them.

I always enjoy shortbread although rarely eat it at any time other than Christmas/New Year's. These sounded an interesting change. I am not familiar with Coconut Flour but I do like the taste of coconut.

Coconut Flour Shortbread Cookies

Need new holiday cookies to add to the mix? These coconut flour shortbread cookies are deliciously

crowd-pleasing.

1/3 cup coconut flour
4 Tbs grass-fed butter
1 Tbs maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbs dark chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cut butter in with the coconut flour using a pastry cutter or two knives, until the butter turns pea-sized.

3. Add in maple syrup and vanilla extract and cream into the dough until a smooth dough is created.

4. Divide dough into eight even amounts. Rolls each piece into a ball, place on a baking sheet, and gently flatten with the back of a fork.

5. Bake for 6-8 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn.

6. While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler, or in the microwave on 50% power for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour the melted chocolate in a small plastic bag or piping bag. Once the cookies are naked and mostly cooled, drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Allow the chocolate to harden before enjoying!

Servings: 8

Author: Deanna Dorman
Source: Paleohacks

Have a great day
 

DST, Time, Stove.

Now there's odd. I got up about my usual time on Sunday to find Matt all teed because he had missed his morning TV. Neither of us realised the clocks went forward this weekend. Yes, I had seen it on the internet but I thought it was for England because we had already done ours. Of course we hadn't but it doesn't seem like several months ago when we last changed our clocks and were groaning about how useless it all is these days. Obviously when one is retarded retired it doesn't make much difference although we would be late for bowling on Monday. Mind you I would have been late for my champers on Sunday morning, very serious. LOL.

It seems my perception of time is somewhat skewed these days. I was trying to adjust the thermostat

on our stove - following the instructions in the book - because some things have not been cooking properly. I couldn't seem to achieve what the book said I should, so I phone GE. The girl wanted to know how long we had had the stove, I said it was delivered last year. I looked back in this blog the next day and it appears to have been delivered in April 2014. I can't believe we have been using the damned thing for 2  years. They told me it was under warranty, but I don't think so now bearing in mind how long it has been here. One thing it didn't cook properly was the turkey. However, the white meat was enough cooked that we could eat it. I put a thermometer in the oven when I set it for 425°F the other day and when it pinged, the thermometer read about 350°F. I didn't occur to me before that it was the stove, thought it was my fault. It doesn't fit in our kitchen either, it has to stand a good 2 inches out from the back wall. The stove is OK, it's the back panel which won't fit.

I was looking for a recipe for Baby Bok Choy and all the ones I could find at first included Soy Sauce. As I already had Soy Sauce in my main dish, I didn't want more. I finally came across this one. Matt didn't think much of it, I thoroughly enjoyed it. A very simple dish to prepare and tasty in my opinion.

Baby Bok Choy With Garlic

Not sure where I found this baby bok choy recipe, it's either from Gourmet or Bon Appetit. It's quick, delicious, and compliments any Asian stir-fry

1/8 cup unsalted butter
5 tsp minced garlic (or to taste)
12 -14 baby bok choy (washed thoroughly)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over moderate heat.

2. Add minced garlic and saute about 2-3 minutes until barely golden/brown.

3. Add bok choy and chicken broth and simmer until bok choy is tender, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Use a slotted spoon to serve.

Servings: 4

Source: Crabzilla

Have a great day
 

DST, Life of Pi. Bowling. Bits and Pieces.

Now there’s odd. I wrote most of my A to Z posts before the time change. I always schedule them for 1 a.m. I went in yesterday to do some editing and lo and behold they were scheduled for 2 a.m. Presumably the system changed them when it changed everything else. I never knew it would do that. How very odd. I guess, for an hour, it doesn’t matter, but suppose it had been critical?

Oops, I downloaded Life of Pi from iTunes and decided to watch it. I was so engrossed, I ended up forgetting all about blogging. A great movie, I really enjoyed it. I do wonder how they filmed some of it though. I felt a bit sorry for Jackson Parker some of the time. I wonder which was the true story. I love this picture of the two of them in the boat.

Monday league bowling wasn’t the thrill it was last week, but my average, which is now 159, was beaten because over three games I averaged 167 although the first game was appalling. Anyway, I was pleased, obviously.

It was Matt’s youngest’s birthday today also her husband’s. Right now the time difference is only 4 hours because they haven’t yet changed their clocks in England. They were eating Chinese we were told. Which reminds me, the letter from the Mandarin allowing us to go for lunch for free arrived today, at long last. Have to use it by the end of April.

Here’s a different recipe from WebMD. They use tofu but I guess you could always go back to Ricotta if you preferred.

Lasagna Rolls

WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com

Crumbled tofu replaces the ricotta in our Italian-style vegetarian meal.

Ingredients
Prep: 45 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes

• 12  whole-wheat lasagna noodles
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained, rinsed and crumbled
• 3 cups chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped Kalamata olives
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce, preferably lower-sodium, divided (or make your own)
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse, return to the pot and cover with cold water until ready to use.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add tofu and spinach and cook, stirring often, until the spinach wilts and the mixture is heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in Parmesan, olives, crushed red pepper, salt and 2/3 cup marinara sauce.
3. Wipe out the pan and spread 1 cup of the remaining marinara sauce in the bottom. To make lasagna rolls, place a noodle on a work surface and spread 1/4 cup of the tofu filling along it. Roll up and place the roll, seam-side down, in the pan. Repeat with the remaining noodles and filling. (The tofu rolls will be tightly packed in the pan.) Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the rolls.
4. Place the pan over high heat, cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium; let simmer for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the rolls with mozzarella and cook, covered, until the cheese is melted and the rolls are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Have a great day

NaNoWriMo, DST, Yoghurt.

Its NaNoWriMo this month as many of you are aware. Talking to a friend about it on Facebook and saying I had never really tried writing a book, she said didn’t I have dreams or ever think ‘What if’? I guess I do but had never considered them in the light of writing a story. I actually have very vivid dreams at night sometimes they seem like great adventure stories, but have never had the discipline to write them down in the morning and of course, they mostly slip away fast except for the horrid ones. I am sure its all her fault that I had one of those last night. It would have made a good story except I have no thoughts on where it would have gone to if I hadn’t woken up. As for day dreams, winning a lottery and being in good health would be prominent. I can’t really imagine anything in those dreams out of which to make a story. I just don’t have the right kind of imagination it seems. As for “What ifs”, I leave those to my favourite sci fi readers who seem to cover most of my ideas in that direction. So, no, I don’t think I will be writing a novel.

If I did win a lottery I could afford to go to the States and get instant treatment with a few of my problems. The waiting is one of the drawbacks of our free health system.

This weekend we put our clocks back. In England they have already done it. This whole system was introduced during the war years (WWII) as daylight savings time, I am not perfectly sure why we still do it. Its always a pain to have to go round and set all the clocks, it’s the one time I realise we have so many time pieces, some are easier than others. It has been bugging me that our VCR Timer is an hour out compared to the Digital Box on the TV (no idea what the proper name is) so that will be corrected this weekend. I was too lazy to do the VCR, we don’t use it much any more even though we have lots of VHS movies. This picture has been all over Facebook this week so I thought I would use it too. I’m not sure how many of us will be getting up at 2 a.m. to change our clocks though, I certainly won’t. Will have done most of them before we go to bed with the exception of the car which will be done next time we use it.  Luckily, being retired, it doesn’t have a lot of meaning to us. Not that I remember being much affected by it when we were working. I have heard all kinds of advice this week on how to cope with the change, sorry, to me that’s nonsense, I have been involved in DST for maybe 70 years and we never made any fuss about it, as with so many things, we just got on and did it.

Because I have been on so many antibiotics lately the pharmacist suggested I should take a probiotic yoghurt. so I  tried out a few different ones, some I found way too sweet, some of the others way too sour. I ended up with Danone’s Activia. That’s the one Jamie Lee Curtis advertises. She’s right, its good. I buy the plain unsweetened one and find it delicious. Thanks Jamie Lee, I agree.

Here is a good way of eating a green vegetable if you have anyone in your home who is reluctant to do so.

Kale and Potato Hash

Source: Eating Well

4 servings, 1/2 cup each

Serve as a side with a steak or pork chops or set a poached egg on top for a hearty breakfast or brunch.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

8 cups torn kale leaves (about 1/2 large bunch; see Tip)

2 tablespoons horseradish

1 medium shallot, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups cooked shredded potatoes (see Ingredient note)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

A 1- to 1 1/2-pound bunch of kale yields 16 to 24 cups of chopped leaves.When preparing kale for these recipes, remove the tough ribs, chop or tear the kale as directed, then wash it--allowing some water to cling to the leaves. The moisture helps steam the kale during the first stages of cooking.

Ingredient Note: Fresh, partially cooked, shredded potatoes for hash browns can be found in the refrigerated produce section and sometimes in the dairy section of most supermarkets. Alternatively, boil potatoes until they can just be pierced with a fork but are not completely tender. Let cool slightly, then shred.

DIRECTIONS

Place kale in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and finely chop.

Meanwhile, mix horseradish, shallot, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add the chopped kale and potatoes; stir to combine.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the kale mixture, spread into an even layer and cook, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes and returning the mixture to an even layer, until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes total.

Have a great weekend