TV Ads, Winter Weather, Bowling,

I don't watch a heck of a lot of TV and mostly when I do it is on one of three stations which don't have advertising. The only channel I watch that does have ads is the one showing Jeopardy which is my favourite show. Even that half hour show has three ad breaks. However, Thursday night I was thinking that I wasn't seeing any of the Christmas shows, etc. so I found Snow White and the Huntsman on the Home Channel. I stood it for about an hour and then I had had enough. I think I saw more advertising in that time than I ever did movie. So, turned off the TV and ordered it from the library instead. I really don't understand how anyone can put up with it. There is only one advantage I can see, you might need a coffee or bathroom break but otherwise, no thank you.

The weather has been absolutely perishing today. When we went to the bowling alley at noon, there

was one hell of a gale blowing and that, of course, made it even colder. I got from the car to the alley as fast as possible. When I went inside there was one heck of a loud bang - we figured it was scaffolding being blown off the roof - they are having work done. I bowled pretty well today, for a change, and was thoroughly teed off when right at the end, Matt kept throwing strikes and beating me. Well he did that twice, the third game I actually won.

Talking of weather, we are pretty lucky that we haven't really had much snow at all, Buffalo, which is not really that far from us, as the crow flies, has been deluged with the white stuff. :Lake effect snow as they are south of the lakes. I am told that the roads in our sister town are pretty bad. I call it a sister town because you can't really tell, except for signs, where one town ends and the other begins. Round here the roads weren't too bad.

Here's something a bit different and something I will certainly plan on making.

Fragrant Fish Soup

1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
1 zest and juice of lemon
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 lb tilapia fillets or other firm white fish
4 cups bite-size pieces arugula or watercress, tough stems removed (about 1 bunch)
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1/4 cup very thinly sliced fresh mint
2 scallions, finely chopped

1. Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and juice.

2. Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer in another medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the broth remains steaming, but not simmering. Add fish and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and break into bite-size chunks.

3. Divide the lemony rice among 4 bowls. Top with equal portions of the fish, arugula (or watercress), carrot, mint and scallions. Ladle 1 cup of the warm broth into each bowl and serve.

Servings: 4

Source: EatingWell.com

Have a great day
 

New Year’s Eve, TV Remote, Snow, Supper.

If you are partying tonight, I hope you have a good one, if you are staying at home, enjoy the evening. As I mentioned before, we are staying in. I wish you all a wonderful 2013 and especially good health.

I had a very frustrating morning yesterday, having had a complete breakdown on our TV, Internet and Home Phone services, on Saturday night we decided to watch a DVD which we had done very successfully on Friday without any services. Nothing I did allowed me to switch over to enable us to watch a DVD. I phoned with no joy, they told me it was the DVD player. Having thought about that overnight, I phoned again on Sunday morning, this time I am told its our TV that’s wrong. Then I phoned yet again and finally got someone to whom I explained the situation really carefully and who then told me what to do to get the TV to talk to the DVD player. Finally. OK I am not an electronic genius, I had tried pressing all kinds of buttons but I guess I had just not pressed the right ones. But boy was I frustrated. Especially when the provider kept telling me it was my machines when all I had to do was press the correct combination of buttons on their remote, which, I might say, is NOT what I used to do. Every time they have to come and do something, something else changes.

It certainly looks like winter now. We had some more snow Saturday night so everywhere in the park looks lovely. Of course the people with driveways have all been shovelling like mad, or snow blowing in some cases. I am so glad we don’t have to do that, we would have to probably pay someone to do it for us these days. I saw a snow plow in our grounds the other day so it looks as though our new super is not using the tractor which was bought for a previous super. We had so many this year. So I guess the snow plow will sit there rotting although it was wet the other day so maybe he is just plowing at the front and clearing the large parking lot at the back is being hired out. Every so often they have to get people to move out so they can clear the whole lot, by that time though, a lot of the snow has packed down and become icy. In a shopping mall parking lot they can do it before the customers come, but in an apartment building lot, there are cars there all day.

We are having roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for our New Year’s Eve dinner which will give us a couple more suppers in the New Year.  After all this rich food we have been having, maybe a fish soup would be an excellent idea. I was thinking about a fish pie too, haven’t made one in a long time, you really need a strong flavour like smoked haddock and that’s not easy to obtain here. Will have to put my thinking cap on.

This struck me as a somewhat unusual recipe and one I certainly would try myself.

Fragrant Fish Soup

WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com

Lemony rice, delicately flavored broth and gently poached tilapia are topped with a colorful blend of vegetables and herbs. The aromatic mint provides fresh and complex flavor.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 zest and juice of lemon
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 pound tilapia fillets or other firm white fish
• 4 cups bite-size pieces arugula or watercress, tough stems removed (about 1 bunch)
• 1 cup finely shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup very thinly sliced fresh mint
• 2  scallions, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and juice.
2. Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer in another medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the broth remains steaming, but not simmering. Add fish and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and break into bite-size chunks.
3. Divide the lemony rice among 4 bowls. Top with equal portions of the fish, arugula (or watercress), carrot, mint and scallions. Ladle 1 cup of the warm broth into each bowl and serve

My very best wishes for a Happy New Year.