Balconies, Elections. Balancing Poles,

They have finally finished drilling on the wing across from us so the worst of the noise is over. They are working on the front balconies which we can't really hear from our apartment. However this morning Matt said when they do get to us we should go on vacation, I suggested we should emigrate. Everyone is very unhappy with the whole situation. This morning it looked like one of the balconies or the apartment was on fire; there was so much dust it looked like heavy smoke. Far worse than the picture. Our balcony is thick with dust, the plastic boxes of ornaments etc. we have out there are covered. We will have to be very careful when we get round to unpacking the stuff. Meanwhile, some of the wallpaper is torn in the corridors. I thought we were excluded but I saw one of the corridors leading off from our lobby had a great rip in the paper. I can't believe they have been spending all this money, first on tiling all the lobbies etc. and now on the balconies, but they haven't done anything about the wallpaper.

Yesterday I mentioned the tightrope walker. After several comments I thought I would Google balancing poles. I couldn't find any where, in Canada anyway, to buy one so maybe that is why he isn't using one. There are dozens of books telling one how to do tightrope walking, maybe they also tell you where you can get a pole. I actually think he is setting himself a difficult task because the length of his practice wire (or whatever it is) is quite a distance. He does pretty well to walk as far as he does.

I see the Republican Convention tried a last ditch effort to stop Donald Trump but failed. Looks like you might have a racist, misogynist, bigotted president at the end of the year. Good luck America. I also see a lot of big name Republicans are not attending this convention either. I wonder what will happen when he has to deal with the Queen!! She is a woman, after all, I wonder if he knows that?

This recipe caught my eye today. It is supposed to be a no cook recipe, but it uses pre-cooked chicken so either you have to cook it or buy it cooked. I guess I will have to get myself a rotisserie chicken.

Chicken Fusion Salad

GoodtoKnow

This chicken fusion salad is a delicious, easy recipe that's perfect for using up leftovers from your Sunday roast. With a range of crunchy veggies and sesame seeds and vibrant flavour from mint, chillis and ginger, it takes just 30 minutes to make and the only thing you'll need to cook is the rice noodles. At just 417 calories per serving, it's great as part of a healthy eating plan too

150 g Thai rice noodles
1 lge carrot, peeled (or 3 medium)
1/2 a cucumber, sliced (seedless cucumber)
2 Little Gem lettuces
4-6 sprigs fresh mint
250 g leftover cooked chicken, shredded
2-3 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

For the dressing:
1 good tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1-2 red chillies, deseeded
3 tbs each red wine vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable oil and sesame oil
.

1. Spread the noodles out in a large dish and pour enough boiling water over them to cover. Leave for 15 mins, stirring occasionally with a large fork or tongs.

2. Peel the carrots into long, thin ribbons straight into a large bowl and add the cucumber slices.

3. To make the dressing: mix the ginger with 1 of the chillies, finely chopped. Add the vinegar, soy sauce and oils.

4. Drain the noodles, then refresh them under cold water, drain again, then add to the carrot and cucumber with almost half the dressing. Mix well with your hands, then add torn outer leaves of lettuce and quartered hearts, tear in the bigger mint leaves and mix lightly.

5. Spread the salad out on a a platter. Mix the chicken with the rest of the dressing and arrange it on the salad. Garnish with small mint leaves, the rest of the chilli, finely sliced, and the toasted sesame seeds.

Servings: 4

Author Notes
Use egg noodles if you don’t have rice noodles and add mangetout or other veg, if you like.

Have a great day
 

Election Day, Drayton Festival Theatre.

Today, Monday, is election day. I had originally decided to work for them but with all Matt's skin cancer stuff going on I had to back out. Pity. Particularly I was definitely unable to go for the training session. Do you notice, my American friends, how short a time this campaign has been going on, whereas your campaign will be continuing for another year? Not that that would worry me if we didn't get all your political ads on the TV stations shown up here.  Luckily we don't watch that much TV any more so it doesn't bother me as much as it did.

Tomorrow, a friend and I are going to see The Pirates of Penzance at a local theatre in St. Jacobs. There are actually two theatres there. I have never been to this one. We have a wonderful theatrical group in the area, I have mentioned them before, The Drayton Festival Theatre. They stage plays in several theatres in different towns. Very professionally acted or sung, depending what they are showing. I have seen shows there I had never seen before and these days I find the local big theatre, Centre in the Square, a bit beyond our price range.  They do get some of the bigger names there but generally not a lot that I want to see anyway. When Sir Elton John came to town he had to go to the local arena as there wasn't a big enough theatre to hold his audience. We did not go to see him. The Drayton group perform in small theatres which are often converted churches or school house. I see they are doing Aladdin at Christmas. They are doing shows like this, copying the English pantomime format, at Christmas and have done so for years now.

We always have pork loins and are often looking for good recipes. This sounds like one.

Thyme-Basted Pork Tenderloin with Oyster Mushrooms

This easy Parisian dish combines juicy pan-roasted pork tenderloin, meaty mushrooms and an

enticing, crunchy topping of walnuts, shallot and chives.

• Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• One 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into 1-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, 2 minced and 2 crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 large thyme sprigs
• Toasted walnuts, for garnish
• Chopped shallot, for garnish
• Chives, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the grapeseed oil until shimmering. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast the pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 135°, 18 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the minced garlic and the parsley and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
3. Set the pork over moderate heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, the crushed garlic and the thyme to the skillet and cook until the butter is foamy. Baste the meat with the butter just until the butter browns, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cut into thick slices. Spoon the mushrooms onto a platter, top with the pork and drizzle with the brown butter. Garnish with walnuts, shallot, chives and flaky salt and serve.      

Have a great day
 

Busy Doing Nothing. Staples, Elections,

This is what my life appears to be like right this moment.



I actually remember this song from Alice in Wonderland, but YouTube doesn't seem to have that version. Googling, it seems I was right.

Wednesday I was a tad annoyed to put it mildly. I had placed an order with Staples for what I thought was a deal on a box of paper and some envelopes and expected the delivery that day. Later in the afternoon a woman I know from the exercise class turned up with a box from Staples. The driver had called her apartment not mine. Apparently she had a relative staying who accepted the parcel not realising it wasn't for her hostess. Lucky she knew me. Then, when I opened the parcel, it turned out the paper wasn't what I thought. I am not paying close on $50 for a ream of paper, however special it might be. Maybe it was thin sheets of gold??? So now we have to go to Staples at some point to take it back. Looking at the packet, I don't know what's so special about this, apart from the price, anyway.

I registered to work at the elections too. I have done it two or three times before. So has Matt but he won't be doing it this year. It's a long day mind you, 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and for the poll booth people it's even longer, probably midnight before they get away. Used to be 8 to 8 but they have changed it to align with the rest of the country. Considering the huge time differences from BC to Nova Scotia, I am not sure how they can do that, but..... One good thing our elections are called and over in a fairly short time not like the US which takes a full year of campaigning. Trump for president anyone??

I am not a bit apple fan, but I thought this recipe sounded good.

Apple-Pecan Chicken Salad

TasteBook

For a moister, tastier chicken salad, we use both light and dark meat (instead of just chicken breast), with crisp apples and crunchy pecans. If you’re pressed for time, a supermarket rotisserie chicken works great.

 

Makes 6 servings

servings:
Makes 6

Ingredients

• 1 package assorted chicken breasts, thighs, and drumsticks (about 3 1/2 pounds)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups cored, diced apples
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise-type salad dressing
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Dash cayenne pepper

directions

• 1 Place the chicken pieces and bay leaf in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently 30 minutes or until chicken pieces are cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read 165 degrees). Remove the chicken to a cutting board until it is cool enough to handle. Discard the skin and bones, and dice the chicken.
• 2 Combine the chicken and remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well, taste again for salt and pepper, and serve chilled.

Have a great day
 

Pink Slime, Voting.

We watched Jamie Oliver’s new Food Revolution programme from LA where so far he basically says it’s a programme showing how people in LA don’t give a shit. What worried me in particular was his demonstration on what is known as Pink Slime there is an article here http://tinyurl.com/3kefvgf
describing the use of pink slime. Basically meat remnants which are only fit for dogs (who have much better digestive systems) which has been processed in a centrifuge and then treated with ammonia to get rid of the possible salmonella or ecoli contamination, after that, it is ground and sold. Around 70% of the ground beef Americans buy in their stores or eat in burgers from fast food joints is, apparently, Pink Slime. Jamie did a very good demonstration on his programme and it is enough to turn your stomach. The answer is don’t buy any ground meat you haven’t seen made. You can also get some chuck and cut it in chunks then grind it in small quantities yourself. We have some ground beef in our freezer, I am seriously thinking we should chuck it out – we don’t eat much ground beef, but I think it will be a lot less now unless I find a butcher to grind it for me. There is an article about the first episode of the programme here http://tinyurl.com/3gxlk9d – we will certainly be glued to the TV on Tuesdays to see what success Jamie achieves.

I have just emailed Health Canada to ask them what the policy is in this country with regard to Pink Slime. I phone a local butcher department who was excessively vague about the whole business. Not sure if he didn’t know or didn’t want to give me answers. He didn’t even know the name of Health Canada.
We got our voting cards in the mail yesterday – we are not allowed to vote at the polling booth where we are working so we will be voting ahead of time at an Advance Voting centre which is open for three days. I am not very ‘up’ on politics of any kind, but it appears there is some kind of election taking place in the States too as we are being inundated with negative ads from both Canada and the US. Luckily ours will stop on May 2, but from experience the US ones will carry on for months yet.

As you know I am always looking for something different to do with vegetables. Here is one I got from WebMD yesterday.

Chinese Style Brussels Sprouts with Hoisin Glaze

By The Food Gal
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 pounds small Brussels sprouts, washed, ends trimmed, then bulbs cut into halves
3 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
7 to 8 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Toasted sesame oil

Instructions

In a large wok or frying pan on medium-high heat, add peanut oil. When oil is hot, add ginger and onion. Stir, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add garlic, stirring to prevent burning, about 1 minute more. Add Brussels sprouts and mirin. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until Brussels sprouts start to become tender. Stir in hoisin sauce. Continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes more. Drizzle with a little sesame oil, and serve.
Total Servings: 6

Have a great day

Health, Elections, Quakes.

I’m late today. I have been fighting a bronchial condition for the last 24 hours and feel like you know what!! I am also very sorry for myself, I couldn’t lie down for long last night and ended up sleeping in an armchair which is not conducive to being rested and relaxed. I haven’t actually had bronchitis since I quit smoking some 16 or more years ago. It was an instant benefit to quitting the weed. I am taking one of Buckley’s cough mixtures and the ad goes “it tastes awful but it works” not sure about the latter half of that claim, but the first part is right. What really annoys me, I have been boasting for years that I don’t get colds, this is the second bout this winter. Grrrrrrr.

Today the Canadian government vote on the budget and the prediction is that it will fail and the government fall. That means a spring election. At least we don’t go on for ever like the Americans do, I really don’t understand why they have to campaign for so the best part of a year. Both in Britain and Canada an election is over and done with in a matter of weeks. In fact Canada is in a pretty good state at the moment and it is predicted that our national debt will be reduced to virtually 0 by 2015. However, all the other parties want their crack at the whip. Elections cost a lot of money and I don’t think the man in the street wants one yet, but I guess we don’t get a lot of say in the matter.

One thing I forgot to mention, the two large earthquakes in Burma (Myanmar) yesterday. The reports this morning say 75 dead and 111 injured. This doesn't seem to have impacted the local news so I haven't read a lot about it yet.

Here’s something a bit different today. It is from WebMD which is an email I get regularly with all kinds of health tips, including diabetic news. I don’t know how easy it is for you to obtain clams, in Ontario we pay a small fortune, in North Carolina we used to walk into the water and rake them up. I used to pig out on them when we lived there and miss their easy availability.

Miso Soup with Clams

By The Nourished Kitchen WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Miso soup with clams is one of those special foods – simple and quiet and humble, but also elegant in its simplicity. Sometimes the best dishes are the simplest. In our home, broths and stocks form the foundation of many of our meals, and with good reason. In the summertime, when the days are long and hot and standing over a boiling stockpot seems otherwise unappealing, we make the effort to eat broth daily or every other day, but in winter when drifts of snow can climb as high as second-story windows, we make the effort to drink broth with every meal whether in soup or stew, as a liquid for braising vegetables, in reduction sauces and gravies, or even on its own. This soup, simple ingredients dressed in a fine Japanese-style fish and seaweed broth, is a simple incarnation of the many ways we love to enjoy and celebrate the nutritive value of a good broth.

Ingredients

2 heaping tablespoons dried wakame (edible seaweed) 1 pound fresh clams, scrubbed clean 2 quarts dashi or fish stock (low sodium) 1/4 cup white miso paste 6 scallions, white and light green parts sliced thin

Instructions

Set the dried wakame in a boil and pour enough filtered cold water over the seaweed to cover it by about a half inch. Allow the wakame to sit in the cold water for about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, boil or steam the fresh clams until they open. As they open, move them to serving bowls. Discard any clams that do not open.

After the wakame has soaked for ten minutes, rinse and drain it.

Heat the dashi or fish stock until barely simmering and add the wakame. Slowly simmer the wakame in the broth for about two to three minutes.

Remove the wakame and broth from the heat, allowing it to cool for about five minutes before whisking one-quarter cup white miso paste into the broth until it’s fully and completely dissolved.

Pour the broth over the clams, garnishing with sliced thinly sliced scallions.

Total Servings: 4

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 179 Carbohydrates: 19.6g Cholesterol: 5mg Fat: 5.1g Saturated Fat: 1.2g Fiber: 2.0g Protein: 13.6g

Have a great day

Zinfandel Grapes, Elections.

On the way back from bowling, we called in at the LCBO (liquor store) to get a bottle of Clos de Val Zinfandel which in fact they no longer have. I was talking to one of the staff who told me a brief history of the Zinfandel grape which is basically grown in California, but appears to have originated in Italy with the Primitivo grape. I then looked it up because I couldn’t remember everything he said, I now find that the story is much more complicated with possible grapes of Croatia origin mixed in with the history of this grape. We are very fond of a good red Zinfandel and in fact were recommended to buy a Cline product which we were totally unfamiliar with but the staff member praised it highly. If you are interested in the Zinfandel grape origins read http://tinyurl.com/5tblb4r They do make other wines from the Zinfandel grape, sweet wines, blush wines and so on, but Matt and I prefer our wines to be dry although we do enjoy the occasional sweet or iced wine with desserts.

Whilst in the LCBO we picked up the latest edition of Food and Drink in which there are some super recipes which I will get round to looking at more closely – at least two new asparagus recipes and a whole bunch of carrot cake recipes. This magazine might have been written for me. Of course I need carrot cake like a hole in the head but it is so delicious.

It seems Canada’s Government is in a political mess at the moment with a big scandal in the offing. This means that the rumoured election will almost certainly take place. Last time we had a federal election Matt and I both worked at polling station, I think we will apply to do so again. I quite enjoyed my time there although I was quite tired by the time we got home. It’s a long day. I know we have to take lunch and supper, I am assuming we had breakfast before we went to the polling station. I think this time we will choose a couple of jobs that keep us in the same place, last time it seemed Matt would never come and pick me up and I tried to walk home. I made it, but only by taking a rest part way. These days I would never make it – not unless I get an operation on my arteries before that time.

I was looking for something a little different as a vegetable and came across this Kraft recipe. I personally would not use Miracle Whip but would probably use regular mayonnaise. You couldn’t serve this with too many things, but it is still different and a useful recipe for one’s repertoire. I mentioned this recipe to Matt and his reaction was yuk. I guess I will not be making it after all.

Carrot Salad

Kraft Kitchens

What You Need

1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP FREE Dressing

1 Tbsp. sugar

6 carrots, shredded (about 3 cups)

1 can  (8-1/4 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup raisins

Make It

COMBINE ingredients.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Reviving Limp Carrots

Restore most of the crispness to slightly limp carrots by soaking them in ice water for 30 min

Have a great day

Politicians, Elections, Our Week.

I guess I am pretty naïve or something. I have been sick of watching mud slinging political ads on TV for years, but it was only yesterday that I discovered they tell outright lies and some of what is said is totally untrue. I have never had much time for politicians, but that made me have even less time for them. A total bunch of liars in my opinion. I could use several other words but won’t do so here.

Tomorrow is local election day here – it will be interesting to see the results. The Americans are also voting in a few days and Mr. Obama is campaigning for all he is worth. Things are not much better in the States than when he took over and so he is being blamed. I guess people thought he was a superman not just an ordinary person. They seem to think he should have been able to wave a magic wand and fix everything that’s wrong.

Meanwhile, we are bowling once again today and I wish I had that magic wand to enable the pair of us to bowl better. Then this week Matt gets his Loop Monitor for two weeks which will make him really happy. Thursday we have our first travel league for bowling and some of us are going to the My Thai restaurant opposite the bowling alley, some of the group don’t like Thai food so they are going to a different place. Can’t please everybody I suppose.

On Saturday I promised you this recipe. Its very simple to do and absolutely delicious. The instructions say to turn the tortilla over, but this isn’t easy so I just wrapped the handle of my pan in foil and put the whole thing under the grill to brown off.

Tortilla des Patatas

3 Medium-sized potatoes
1 Onion (optional)
3 Eggs
oil (olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil are good)
salt

1. Peel the onion and potatoes.

2. Cut the onion into thin pieces. Add plenty of oil to a frying pan and let them fry until they turn brown

3. Dice the potatoes while the onions are cooking. Season them as desired and add them to the frying pan.

4. Fry everything together over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until everything turns slightly brown.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and drain the oil

6. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and add the potatoes, onions.

7. Add a little bit of oil in the frying pan and add the mixture. Cook the egg until it sets up, first on high heat, and then over low heat.

8. Turn the tortilla over so that it browns on both sides. You can serve hot or cold.

Servings: 4

Author Notes
The tortilla de patatas, which literally means "potato tortilla", is a very typical Spanish dish, similar to a frittata.

Elections, Volunteering, Dinner, Blue Birds

You should see the lines, they go on for ever. They are expecting a record turnout. At least they have a good day for it, mild and dry so that all these people waiting to vote won't be freezing or wet. Of course there is nothing else being talked about on TV this morning and I am surprised to see there are still ads running. I wonder why they don't stop that on election day? In Europe you will probably find out who won before I do as I will be in bed by the time the results are announced. Today is my volunteering day. I haven't been for a while, first it was our elections, then I was sick, then Matt had to go to the doc and we only have one car. I'll have forgotten what I was taught. Last night I invited some more friends to dinner on Saturday, so we have to put our thinking caps on again. I think we have decided two courses, not sure about dessert yet. On our son-in-law's blog (see link this page) in the comments section, he mentioned that a Kingfisher's colour is actually caused by refracted light, this made me think of the Indigo Bunting which we used to see regularly in North Carolina. That too was a bright blue bird, but it is apparently actually non-coloured, but the refracted light makes it look blue. I don't understand the science behind this, but it is fascinating. We used to spend hours watching the birds in our back yard where we had feeders, nesting boxes and a drip water bowl - the dripping attracts more birds apparently. I don't really understand how a Cardinal can be red with real red feathers and an Indigo Bunting has no colour in its feathers. Now I am looking this up and find that there is no blue on a Blue Jay either. This sounds like refracted light only works in the blue spectrums. I understand refracted light is "bent" light, but how it can produce such beautiful blue colours is beyond me. What about the Eastern Bluebirds I wonder. Having done somemore googling it appears that the blue pigmentation in birds is usually caused by light refraction - a quote from the Shenandoah Audobon page says : As with other blue-hued birds, the Blue Jay's coloration is not derived by pigments, but is the result of light refraction due to the internal structure of the feathers; if a Blue Jay feather is crushed, the blue disappears as the structure is destroyed. This is referred to as structural coloration. The primary comment there is "other blue-hued birds". I guess crushing the feather stops light refracting through it. I understand it is a similar thing to the blue of ocean water which, if you bring up a bucketful is totally clear. I have just finished reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, I enjoyed it, but it was slow reading. According to my author friends, it is full of what they call "tropes" i.e. situations which occur again and again in novels. I never knew about tropes, but I think it is what makes me put down a book every so often because I know exactly what is going to happen and I can't be bothered with it right then. I still enjoyed the story and will certainly read part 2 when it becomes available next year. I keep hearing people saying they have bad colds or bronchitis - early this year maybe. I always recommend a hot toddy. I just found a simple recipe for one in the Three and Four Ingredient Cookbook so I thought you might like to have it. Rum and Star Anise Hot Toddy Hot toddies are normally made with whisky but rum works really well too and produces a deliciously warming drink that's perfect for a cold weather evening - or even a winter afternoon after a hearty walk out in the freezing cold countryside. You can also flavour this toddy with different spices such as vanilla pod (bean) or cinnamon stick. Serves Four 1 1/4 cups dark rum 3 Tbs caster (superfine) sugar (in North America regular sugar is fine enough) 1 star anise Pour the rum into a heatproof jug (pitcher) and add the sugar and star anise. Pour in a scant 2 cups of boiling water and stir thoroughly until the sugar has dissolved. Carefully pour the hot toddy into heatproof glasses or mugs and serve immediately. Have a great day.

One More Day, The Green Mile, Dinner

Tomorrow night it will be all over bar shouting. I am so pleased. I didn't realise til the weekend that this has been going on for 21 months, not a year as I so blithely believed. No wonder we are fed up with the campaigning. We caught an Obama ad this morning, if he could achieve what he promises, he will be a brilliant president, but wait for the excuses - I can't do this because... He says he is going to end the war in Iraq, responsibly, to pay for all his new tax cuts, etc. Pipe dreams. We have been told that their polling booths work wonderfully for small numbers, but they are expecting a massive turn out which might mean lots of problems. Good luck America. Last night we watched The Green Mile with Tom Hanks and Michael Clark Duncan as John Coffey. We have seen it before, but decided to watch it again, what a wonderful movie it is. James Cromwell was in it and I will never see him without thinking of the movie Babe where he played the farmer "that'll do pig". We didn't realise the movie went on so late, obviously the ads extend it considerably, but it didn't finish til about 12:30 a.m. so I didn't get all my beauty sleep. Mind you I spent most of yesterday asleep anyway, Saturday evening, when we had dinner guests I started a migraine, began a sore throat and finally woke at 3 a.m. with an allergy. I took anti-histamines which proceeded to knock me out. However, I am better today. I always get worried with a sore throat as I have a tendency to get a lot more problems once I have begun with the throat. This time it didn't happen I am delighted to say. The dinner party went very well however, and I made the Pissaladière which turned out very well except for my oven the timing was wrong and needed to be about 15 minutes instead of 20-25. The pastry was a tad overdone. Matt and I finished it off for lunch yesterday. If you want to check the recipe again, I published it on October 21, this year. After that we had London Broil, the recipe has been posted, but I'm not sure when. I then followed it up with a Turkish Orange Cake, also posted. I am gradually working back through my blogs adding the name of the recipe I post to the Labels. Somewhere or other, one of my guests got the idea there were anchovies in the Pissaladière and as she doesn't eat fish in any shape or form, she was a bit concerned. Not sure where she got that idea from. One thing you will notice, I didn't bother to make a circle. The pastry was bought and didn't allow for a big enough circle according to the recipe so we decided to leave it oblong. Worked fine and looked just as good, tasted even better. I get a little magazine from Kraft called Healthy Living, it is specifically aimed at people with diabetes. I thought I would share one of their recipes which is a bit like a chicken satay. Asian Chicken with Cabbage Slaw Serves 4 1/4 cup Kraft smooth peanut butter 1/4 cup Kraft Signature Asian Sesame Dressing 1 Tbs grated fresh ginger 1 Tbs water 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts 2 cups shredded savoy cabbage 1 large carrot shredded 2 green onions sliced Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat peanut butter, dressing, ginger and water in medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended, set aside. Mix cabbages and carrots in a large bowl. Add 1/4 C of the peanut butter mixture; toss and coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Place the chicken in single layer in shallow baking pan; brush with remaining peanut butter mixture. Bake 20 mins or until chicken is cooked through. Cut into strips. Spoon cabbage mixture onto serving platter; top with the chicken and onions. Have a great day.

Elections, Governments, Chocolate Kisses

It was fun, I really enjoyed my day at the elections and would do it again in a heartbeat. Mind you, I was very lucky because I was sitting next to the registration desk which was manned by someone who was a fun person to spend the day with (he said the same about me) so I guess that helped. There were also another couple from this apartment building doing poll clerk duty. Actually, as we left in the morning, there were two or three people also going to various poll booths to work, so Bluebird Apartments were pretty well represented. Also, the polling station where I was was the same one for the people of my building so I knew lots of the people coming in to vote. Some of them even discussed Avon orders with me (during an election??). Matt ended up at a different place. He was told a church, he ended up at a school and he said there were hundreds of voters, especially at the end of the day. He, silly bugger, stood up for every one so he is aching today, he really needs to remember he is not a youngster any more. He was even aching too much to go for his golf game today. I am tired, but not aching. I thought I would find the day way too long, but as we had a steady stream of voters all day, it made it more interesting. What was also fun was to see the pride on the faces of the young people who came in and registered to vote for the first time. I don't remember that day in my own life, it was such a looong time ago. Once it was all over, I decided not to wait for Matt to pick me up and walked back up the hill to home. I don't walk too well any more and it is a steep hill. I had to pause and sit on a wall for a few minutes, but I was actually quite impressed with myself for making it. Just as I turned into the drive, Matt did too. This morning I have to talk to the Pensions Office once again. I was promised a call back either today or tomorrow. I told them I would be unavailable all day yesterday, so, guess what, they called yesterday. I am so teed you can't imagine. What I am talking to them about has been going on for nearly a year now, if a public sector business operated as inefficiently they would be kaput in a very short space of time. It was a bit the same yesterday, people coming in with the voter cards where the husband had received his and the wife hadn't or vice versa. Others who had received nothing at all. People had tried to correct this situation but nothing had happened before the actual election. If you are interested and unaware of the results by the way, the Conservatives now have what they call a 'stronger minority'. So Stephen Harper is still our Prime Minister. I would say the Liberals need to change their leader, but that is my personal opinion of course. I know our local incumbent, who is Liberal, didn't make it this time around. I don't think she was defeated by a lot. Woodworth (C) got 16,480 and Redman (L) 16,141 so I would call that a close call. By the way, Gynie, I thoroughly enjoyed my sandwiches. However, I ended up eating chocolate and mini Hershey's Kisses provided by my neighbour at the other table. He wouldn't take no for an answer. I had never seen coloured Hershey's Kisses before, they are a bit like M & Ms or Smarties, but they have some navy blue ones which seems a very odd colour for a candy. They are chocolate in the middle so that was right up my street of course. Talking of chocolates, here is a really sinful Chocolate Cheesecake. The recipe is courtesy of my programme Living Cookbook - no I haven't made it and I am probably not likely to although I would love to try it. The picture shows a beautifully decorated cake, you could do this with the marzipan roses I talked about some weeks ago. (August 18, 2008). Belgian Chocolate And Baileys Cheesecake 100 g / 3-1/2 oz digestive biscuits (graham crackers) 50 g / 2 oz roasted and chopped hazelnuts 15 g / 1/2 oz dark brown soft sugar 60 g / 2-1/2 oz unsalted butter, melted 450 g / 1 lb Belgian chocolate 50 g / 2 oz caster sugar 350 g / 12 oz full-fat soft cheese 450 ml / 3/4 pt double cream, lightly whipped 40 ml / 1-1/2 fl oz Baileys Irish Cream liqueur 1 For the chocolate sauce: 2 g / 7 oz Belgian chocolate - 300 ml / 1/3 - 1/2 pt milk tbsp double cream g / 1 oz caster sugar g / 1 oz unsalted butter 3 Process the biscuits, hazelnuts, brown sugar and melted butter to make the biscuit base. Press onto the base of a 20.5cm (8") diameter spring-release tin. 4 Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Beat the sugar and cheese together until smooth then fold in the whipped cream. Fold this mixture into the melted chocolate then stir in the Baileys Irish Cream. Spoon into the tin and level the surface. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm. 5 For the sauce, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. In a separate pan, combine 200 ml (1/2 pt) milk, the cream and sugar and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Whisking all the time, pour this onto the chocolate. Return the sauce to the pan and boil over a high heat for 15 seconds. If wished, add extra milk to thin the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter bit by bit. 6 Serve the cheesecake with the sauce or with crème fraiche and fruit. Servings: 16 (depends who is being served of course!) Have a great day.

Training

Well yesterday we spent an hour in the elections office learning how to be Information Officers. Apparently we have to be at the station at 8:30 in the morning, yuk, ready to stick up posters and whatever our supervisors tell us to do. Then we were told what to do and what to say to people. Don't tell them, but I honestly don't see the point of an Information Officer. Maybe once I have done the job, I will. We ended up with a lot of paperwork to bring home, some of which has to be returned, some does not. We have to wear name badges of course, I did ours on the computer so they look nice and big and legible. We also have to stay at the end of the voting to help tidy up the posters and such that we had previously put up. Matt came away feeling somewhat less than enthusiastic about the whole deal. Being Thursday, our shopping day, we went in the afternoon. I did find a turkey breast, it was fresh, not frozen, so it wasn't cheap, but should be good for Saturday and sandwiches for Tuesday (election day). We were going to buy a fresh loaf on Monday but of course the store will be closed so will have to get one on Sunday. We also bought a bottle of Mouton Cadet Bordeaux (white) to go with it. No pumpkin pie though. Will probably have some ice cream for a dessert. This morning Matt is off for an ultra sound on his aorta. He found out that it is a good thing for older men to have checked as it can swell and burst without any symptoms. Our doctor agreed he should have it checked regularly too. There are so many things you need to keep an eye on as you get older. For those of you who don't know, the aorta is the largest artery in the body. I just found a recipe for brined turkey. If you have never had brined poultry, it is great and comes out really moist. I think I will do this. Best Brined Turkey Breast Source: Betty Crocker You've heard about it, now give it a try. This turkey breast is flavorful, moist and delicious! Makes:8 servings 9 cups hot water 3/4 cup salt 1/2 cup sugar 1 bone-in whole turkey breast (4 to 6 pounds), thawed if frozen 1 onion, cut into eighths 2 fresh rosemary sprigs 4 fresh thyme sprigs 3 dried bay leaves 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth (from 32-oz carton) 1. In 6-quart container or stockpot, mix water, salt and sugar; stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add turkey. Cover; refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 24 hours. 2. Heat oven to 325ºF. Remove turkey from brine, rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry. 3. Place onion on center of rack in large shallow roasting pan; top with rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Place turkey, skin side up, over onion and herbs. 4. In small bowl, mix butter and wine. Soak 16-inch square of cheesecloth in butter mixture until completely saturated; cover turkey completely with cheesecloth. Roast 1 hour 30 minutes. 5. Remove cheesecloth. Place onion and herbs in pan with drippings if using drippings to make gravy (or discard). Insert meat thermometer horizontally so tip is in thickest part of turkey and does not touch bone. Turn turkey skin side down. Roast 30 to 60 minutes longer or until thermometer reads 170ºF and juice of turkey is clear when center is cut. Right, I'm off to brine my turkey. Have a great day.

Oom Pah Pah, Thanksgiving, Skype

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving. It is also the start of Oktoberfest which is the biggest outside Munich, Germany. They kick off on Friday with tapping the keg and beer will flow for a full week with lots of riotous celebrations and gemutilicheit. Lederhosen and Dirndles will appear all over the place in Kitchener and Waterloo and you won't be able to get a hotel room for love or money. We have never been to Oktoberfest despite the fact that we have been assured that it is loads of fun. I do know that a schnitzel or a beer is cheaper today than it will be next week. I believe the instances of drunk driving have been considerably reduced, but one of the biggest drawbacks is Matt cannot stand oom pah music. However, it is a great crowd pleaser and people really flock in to the community which is, of course, excellent for business in this area. I think, personally, that having an election the day after Thanksgiving and in the middle of Oktoberfest (although it is confined to this area) isn't very clever, but that's how it has been arranged. Thanksgiving itself, of course, means turkeys and hams, pumpkin pies and so on. I have frequently cooked a turkey breast which I have bought in the States. Unfortunately I don't have one any more and turkey breasts aren't reasonably priced here, I don't know why, I can get a 7 lb breast in NC for about $10. For two of us we really don't need the whole bird. However, as I have a "fancy" for turkey cooked at home, I might have to break down and get one. Sliced turkey from the deli just isn't the same thing at all. It occurs to me that if I did cook a turkey this weekend, I would then have some left over for sandwiches when we do our stint at the polling booths on Tuesday. Several times I have mentioned Skype which is an internet telephone system through which you can call people, for free, wherever they are in the world, so long as they too have Skype. I had to re-load the programme recently and have just discovered all kinds of friends who have Skype. Yesterday I talked to Glenda Larke in Malaysia and my cousin in Portugal, today I talked to another friend in South Africa. I think modern technology is wonderful. I don't like canned tuna. Having said that, Matt invented the following recipe which is the only way I will eat it. Tuna Matt's Façon 1 6 oz can Tuna (its best made with Tuna in olive oil) 3 Tbs capers 1 stick celery, finely chopped 1/2 bell pepper finely chopped 1/4 lge onion, finely chopped 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar 1 Tbs mayonnaise (Hellman's or home made) salt and pepper shredded lettuce 1 Pita Bread 2 Mix well. Cut two Pita breads in half, open each half to make a pocket, line with shredded lettuce and fill with mixture. 3 Serve with tossed salad greens Servings: 2 Have a great day.

Flu and What to Do, Election

I have just heard some interesting information on preventing flu. Dr. Tim Johnson who is Medical Editor on Good Morning America was talking about the things you can do to prevent flu. First, if you can, get a flu shot. We have been having them for a few years now. I personally am not convinced of their benefit as they are made from previous flu strains and who knows what strain will mutate and produce a new one each winter. He also mentioned washing hands which is a major way of preventing the spread of flu germs. When asked how long you should wash your hands he said sing Happy Birthday - twice! Another thing is to stay at least 3 ft. away from anyone who appears to be coughing and sneezing and to have flu and his final comment was not to cough and sneeze into your hands but into your sleeve!!!! I would never have thought of that and I must admit it sounds rather disgusting to me, but I can understand the logic of it. Better to be sure you carry some Kleenex tissues with you at all times. He also stated flu shots are available in the States right now, not sure if they are in Canada yet. In a couple of weeks, Matt and I are going to do something we have never done before, we are going to work at a polling booth as Information Officers. We have to go to different booths unfortunately, but it should be fun. I didn't realise if you take on such a job, its an all day affair. You have to take lunch and supper with you and anything you want to drink. If you are lucky there may be a kitchen and you can microwave something, but that isn't guaranteed of course. We have to go for training next week. This was suggested to us by a friend on the night of my birthday party, funnily enough, so we decided to look into it. I gather they only take seniors for the jobs as you have to prove you are in receipt of Canada Pension. If they take one look at us there won't be much doubt. Our election is actually on October 14th, much quicker than our friends down south. Now I have to figure out what I am going to take in the way of food and drink as well as "in what", I have bags big enough for one meal, but two? We could have taken another job at the poll booth, but a) it involved writing and in my case, my writing is appalling these days and b) it means staying to count the votes which could last well into the night if something went wrong. I think after working 9:30 to 9:30 we won't want to stay longer. Yes, we do get paid for this. We collected Matt's pictures of Manitoulin yesterday, he has some good ones. Another one of me on the slide at the beach. I notice no-one commented on those pictures!! He has a couple of nice shots of Gore Bay and some good ones of the Bridal Veil Falls, I will have to scan them later and share them with you tomorrow. Meanwhile here is another recipe from the LCBO's Food and Drink. Asian Barbecued Pork with Sweet Tart Sauce This spicy, hone sweet and citrus tart pork roast is best served with rice. It can be served either warm or cold. The meat is so tender that you can make superb pulled pork sandwiches by pulling it apart with a fork. Servings 6 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. rib end pork roast off the bone Marinade 3 Tbs soy sauce 1/4 C hoisin sauce 2 Tbs Sugar 1 tsp 5-spice powder 1 Tbs sambal oelek (any good oriental store) 2 Tbs vegetable oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar Garnish 1/4 C slivered green onion Lime wedges Place pork in a large baking dish and set aside. Combine soy, hoisin, sugar, 5 spice, sambal oelek, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and pour over pork making sure it is well coated. Marinate pork over night or for at least 6 hours, refrigerated. Preheat oven to 300 °F. place pork in a covered baking dish along with the marinade and 1/2 Cup water. Cover and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning every hour and basting until pork is fork tender. Remove from oven and let pork cool in juices. If you can refrigerate overnight it is much easier to remove the fat. Remove pork from juices and skim fat from sauce. Add balsamic vinegar to baking dish and bring sauce to a boil over high heat. Boil for 7 to 10 mins. or until juices have reduced and thickened slightly. Thinly slice pork, coat with sauce, pour over rice and scatter with green onions. Serve with lime wedges. Have a great day.