Morituri, Dancing with the Stars,

How odd, I have nothing particular to do today. I don't believe it, our lives seem to be filled with appointments of one kind or another, particularly medical ones, groan. Then there's a lot of bowling and selling Avon and so on, just seem to be on the go all the time. Of course we do have an appointment to play cribbage tonight so our day is not totally clear. Last night we watched a movie I had never heard of, Morituri, made in 1965. starring Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as did Matt. Its a second world war story - a German living in India is blackmailed by the British into posing as an SS officer on a German ship carrying a valuable cargo of rubber which the allies would like to get. Brando is tasked with the job of disarming the scuttling charges so the captain cannot sink the ship when encountering th Americans. Brynner is the captain. If you get a chance to see it, I recommend it. Good movie. Morituri is from the Latin phrase "Morituri te salutamus" or 'those who are about to die salute you' which is supposed to have been said by the gladiators to Caesar in the arenas.

Matt, who has been a devoted fan of Good Morning America for years, said he is going off the programme. Some of it is because of the topics being covered such as Bachelor or Bachelorette and Dancing With the Stars. None of which holds any interest for us. Also, they have little chat sessions during the programme where everyone is talking at once and it is difficult to distinguish what people are saying. Probably more difficult for older ears. That is one of the reasons I have never been a follower of The View because they all talk over one another. However, it is something we all do - a convivial bunch of people all talk at once and one has to tune in to the things which are of interest to you. Talking of Dancing With the Stars, I am staggered to find the astronaut Buzz Aldrin in included this year - he was born in 1930 for goodness sake, he's 80, plus its a very energetic performance. The other surprise was Kevin Lysacek the guy who won the gold in men's figure skating a week ago. He shouldn't find it a problem.

Anyway, being a free day, I need to go and do some cooking for the freezer. Things like spaghetti sauce and Marinara Sauce for instance. I might even make the following:

I got an email talking about vegetable stews so I checked some out, this is the first one from Eating Well which I thought sounded delicious. Fragrant Chickpea Stew Source: © EatingWell Magazine 4 servings,

When time is of the essence, this hearty stew makes a quick meal. It has a complex, almost beefy flavor that develops when the onion and garlic are cooked until dark brown. Accompany with steamed rice or whole-wheat flatbreads (chapatis). Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 medium red onion, chopped (1 cup) 5 medium cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground (see Ingredient Note) 1 cup water 1 red potato, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 19-ounce or 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided 1 medium tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes Ingredient Note: Coriander seeds are tiny and yellowish brown; they are produced when cilantro is allowed to seed. They smell slightly citric. Their flavor does not resemble, in any way, that of cilantro. DIRECTIONS Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; cook cumin seeds for 10 seconds. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until dark brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add coriander; cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Stir in water, potato, chickpeas, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the potato is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add tomato, increase heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro and serve.

Have a great day

World's Tallest Building, Cholesterol.

Good Morning America are doing some travelling this week, their theme being BIG. Chris Cuomo was visiting Dubai's tallest building, the Burj Dubai, which is in the desert. I believe they are building yet more such structures according to an email with pictures I was sent recently. If you are interested there is an article and some video if you click here which gives you views of this incredible monument to engineering and architecture. It is, or will be when finished, the tallest building in the world, it is 1,000 ft. taller than the previous record being held by the Taipei 101 in Taiwan. I remember when the Empire State Building held that title. This building is twice as high. It is worth watching the video to see some of the views and comparisons. If you explore Good Morning America this morning there are several articles about Dubai. I gather even they are feeling the financial pinch. Maybe they can't buy new diamond studded cars this year!!! I wrote about it last year check here when I first heard about it. Bowling again today, so wish me luck. Didn't do too badly last week, but I am not very consistent lately. Told you winter wasn't over yet, we had a smattering of snow overnight. Not very much of it, but enough to turn everything more or less white. I am always on the lookout for foods which are reputed to lower cholesterol. According to RealAge a new study see here shows that chickpeas (garbanzo beans) tend to both lower cholesterol and to lower weight. All good stuff in my book. Most nuts are supposed to lower cholesterol along with anything containing Omega-3 Fatty Acids, like salmon. Fragrant Chickpea Stew Serves 4 When time is of the essence, this hearty stew makes a quick meal. It has a complex, almost beefy flavor that develops when the onion and garlic are cooked until dark brown. Accompany with steamed rice or whole-wheat flatbreads (chapatis). Ingredients * 1 tablespoon canola oil * 1 teaspoon cumin seeds * 1 medium red onion, chopped (1 cup) * 5 medium cloves garlic, minced * 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground (see Ingredient Note) * 1 cup water * 1 red potato, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes * 1 19-ounce or 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper * 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided * 1 medium tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes Directions 1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; cook cumin seeds for 10 seconds. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until dark brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add coriander; cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Stir in water, potato, chickpeas, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the potato is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. 2. Add tomato, increase heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro and serve. Have a great day.