Geologic Journey, Anniversary, Aging and Trikes

Tonight is another episode of Geologic Journey II which I mentioned last week. I do hope you will be watching it, I think it’s a great programme and am only sorry we missed the first part, hopefully it will be on again although you can see episodes on line. It is presented on CBC in the series The Nature of Things by David Suzuki.

I was delighted to receive an invitation to some friends’ 50th wedding anniversary celebration. That will be the second one this year. In these days of divorces, it is wonderful to come across couples who have made it through. Matt and I made it to 38, therefore it would be another 12 years for us to get to 50. Mind you, I have written before about how so many people are living longer these days that I guess there is every likelihood we could hang around that long. I think I am a doddery old codger now …….

Actually talking of aging, I see people who are probably the same age as us or even younger, and looking at them I consider them old people. Then you see others whom I know are a lot older and who are still spry and young thinking which I think is half the battle. Think young, stay young. It was one of the first things that hit me when we arrived in North America that people in their 70s and 80s were still running around doing things which, at that time, similar age groups in England had given up on. One couple I remember were driving around on a motor bike and camping in a tent and they were certainly in their 70s.

Talking of motorbikes I was sent an email with a series of pictures of a Vet Trike (Vet over here means veteran, not veterinarian) quite an incredible paint job and its on display at a car show. You can see all of the pictures at http://tinyurl.com/29pbla7 Do enlarge this one, it is really worth a look.

I always like soups and particularly bean soups, so when I saw this one in my Inbox it instantly appealed.

Mediterranean Chick Pea Stew

Courtesy of : Nadia G.

Yield : 2

Ingredients

1 head of garlic, unpeeled

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 sweet red bell pepper, julienned

1 red finger hot chili pepper, seeds removed, minced

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 can whole, peeled, organic san marzano tomatoes, hand crushed (796mL)

pinch of brown sugar

2 cups chick peas

Zest of half a lemon

handful of fresh parsley, minced

5 large mint leaves, stacked, rolled up and sliced into ribbons (chiffonade)

toasted whole wheat pita, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
2. Slice the top off of the head of garlic; lay it on some aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil and black pepper. Seal aluminum foil over garlic and roast for 40 minutes.
3. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add peppers and scallions into the pan, stir and coat with salt, paprika and cumin. Pour in the hand-crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Peel 4 cloves of roasted garlic and crush with a fork. Add garlic, chick peas, lemon zest, mint and parsley to the stew then stir until heated through.
5. Ladle stew into big bowls and serve with toasted whole-wheat pita wedges.

Have a great day

Plate Tectonics, Terrorism, Book

We have been following a series (well we’ve only seen two episodes) on TV presented by David Suzuki’s The Nature of Things, which is the most fascinating documentary about Plate Tectonics. The series is called Geologic Journey II and the website is here http://tiny.cc/gcgf4. Because of the movement of the plates, there are areas in the middle east which are literally being torn apart by their movement and volcanic action pushing them apart. Not going to happen tomorrow, more like 10 million years away, but it really is interesting to contemplate all the information and pictures they present in this series. I highly recommend this programme. You can watch the episodes on line too, last night was particularly focused on the The Great Rift Valley which stretches for 9,600 kms in Eastern Africa and which is slowly being separated by volcanic action. The bottom of the rift is very thin. The geologist, Dr. Nick Eyles, visited a volcano containing a lava lake which is one of only 4 in the world. Quite incredible to see the boiling magma just bubbling away there waiting to erupt once again. I decided to check just where we were sitting on the rift which contains our part of Canada. We appear to be well away from the edge. There were pictures of cities, such as Jerusalem, which are sitting right over the plates in such a way to ensure they will be destroyed by earthquake one day. The following is from the web site - Geologic Journey II will change the way you look at the world. In each episode, we dive straight into the Earth's mysterious geologic processes – and explore both science and legend as we seek to understand and explain the geologic forces that shape our world, and our lives. With Dr. Nick Eyles of the University of Toronto Scarborough as our guide, this five-part documentary series will reveal the Earth's magnificent power and its breathtaking beauty

I guess one will have to be careful buying ink cartridges for the printer any more, they have found such cartridges on a couple ofl planes bound for the US full of explosives instead of ink.

I have just finished an absolutely delightful book called The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. It is set in the Japans in the late 18th century and tells the story of a young Dutchman who becomes the Chief Resident in Nagasaki, originally trading with the Japanese on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. It is a realistic, gritty and disgusting but romantic story, nothing is held back and I highly recommend it to everyone who likes novels of the Orient. I cannot for the life of me remember who recommended this novel to me, but whoever it was, I thank them.

Here’s a new take on a classic Chinese recipe – I have included the nutrition information. I need to take a bit more care on my consumption as I am having high sugar readings lately. I thought this might be a good start.

Moo Shu Vegetables

From EatingWell: September/October 2008

This vegetarian version of the classic Chinese stir-fry, Moo Shu, uses already-shredded vegetables to cut down on the prep time. Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, Asian hot sauce and extra hoisin if desired.

4 servings

Ingredients

3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 12-ounce bag shredded mixed vegetables, such as “rainbow salad” or “broccoli slaw”

2 cups mung bean sprouts

1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, (see Shopping Tip)

Preparation

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs; cook, stirring gently, until set, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.
2. Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add shredded vegetables, bean sprouts, half the sliced scallions, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved eggs and hoisin; cook, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the scrambled eggs, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining scallions and remove from the heat.

Nutrition

Per serving : 171 Calories; 9 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 212 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrates; 11 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 328 mg Sodium; 226 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• Shopping tip: Hoisin sauce is a dark brown, thick, spicy-sweet sauce made from soybeans and a complex mix of spices. Look for it in the Asian section of your supermarket and in Asian markets.

Happy Hallowe’en and have a great weekend.