Guest Post, Turkey Anyone, Bowling

Actually, I was going to be lazy and not post anything today but then I remembered I am guest posting at The Really Real Housewives of America again so I hope you will visit me there. I have chosen a recipe I am planning to make this week because I saw it made on The Great British Bake Show which I thought sounded delicious. The recipe has a crust to make it into a pie, but as the author said himself, it would make a good dish without the pastry. Paul Hollywood called it Leftover Turkey and Ham Pie.

I sure have plenty of turkey left, as I said yesterday, I ended up with a 17 pounder having ordered a smaller bird. There were only 4 of us and one was such a very small eater. Today we had a delicious turkey soup for supper full of meat and veggies. Yummy. Thank the Lord for still having our balcony though, it has been very useful as a fridge these last few days.

We went bowling today and when we got there it was quiet with not a soul but the proprietor. A

couple of our friends turned up and then all kinds of people until the place was pretty full. I hadn't thought of it but, of course, the alley does feel it when the leagues take winter breaks. It's a lot of customers to lose for a couple of weeks. I bowled moderately well, somebody who shall remain nameless, beat me twice but I managed to retaliate on the third game. I wish we could both of us bowl so well on a league day. Our league will not start again until the second week of January although Matt and I will be there twice a week as usual. Funny, the proprietor was telling us about their family party the previous day and how one of his dogs actually managed to pick up a bowling ball (3.5 lbs roughly) in his mouth and carry it off the bowling area. However, he couldn't put it down so the daughter had to help the dog by forcing his mouth further open. The dog is a setter. I couldn't believe it, nor could they I gather. That's my ball. 3 lb 10 oz or thereabouts).

Funny, the year has almost ended and I suddenly realised I hadn't done our rent cheques for 2017. Unfortunately we cannot persuade the landlords to do bank transfers for the rent. A little backward. So today I had to get 'em done in a hurry.

Any mistakes, apologies, I am tired and was just off to bed.

So all for now, for a recipe go visit The Really Real Housewives of America. Told you I was being lazy.


Have a great day
 

Merry Christmas

I want to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas. Today I am guest posting at the Really Real Housewives of America and, unless things change, I think this might the my last post of the holiday season.

You know, I'm getting too old for Christmas. Tuesday I spent the morning making a chocolate cake, crumbing bread to make fresh breadcrumbs and cutting up more bread for a stuffing. Then lunch, after which we went to do our weekly shopping, the majority of which was for Christmas anyway. I then came home and made the stuffing/dressing I will be serving at the weekend. I think it tastes delicious, Matt says it wants more seasoning, but he is a bit of a salt and pepper freak, especially pepper, Later supper, but that was simple, cauliflower cheese. I have two stuffings to serve now, one chestnut which I like and this new one I have never made before. I think it tastes great too and I generally do not like stuffing. It was touted as Gluten Free Stuffing, I took no notice of that but... I used regular bread, but obviously if you are concerned about gluten you should follow the recipe.

Gluten-Free Stuffing

3 Tbs unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
12 oz gluten-free bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz pork sausage, casings removed
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (3 cups)
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 lbs mixed mushrooms, coarsely chopped (12 cups)
Kosher salt
Pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Grease a 4-quart baking dish. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes, until golden and crisp.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Scrape the sausage mixture into a large bowl; wipe out the skillet.

3. In the skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add half of the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the large bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil and mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper and transferring to the bowl. Add the bread, broth, eggs and the 1/2 cup of chopped parsley and mix well. Let stand for 5 minutes, allowing the bread to absorb the liquid.

4. Scrape the stuffing into the prepared dish and drizzle with the 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes longer, until golden and cooked through. Serve the stuffing hot, garnished with parsley.

Servings: 8

Tips
The cooked stuffing can be refrigerated overnight. Cover and reheat at 325? until warmed through.

Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day
 

Guest Post, Bowling, Cholesterol,

Once again I am delighted to say I am doing  a guest post on The Really Real Housewives of America although as I mentioned to them once, maybe it should be North America. Today is recipe day, one actual recipe and one "what I do to make:" recipe. The chicken recipe we actually ate last night and I made some cole slaw to go with it.  Actually this slaw recipe is one I picked up from a friend quite a few years ago and haven't made for a while. Been cheating by buying bagged slaw. Not as good as making it yourself.

Tuesday we went bowling, the alley is now back on winter time. All the leagues are starting this week with the exception of the Seniors' Winter League which starts next Monday, yesterday being Labour Day of course. However, it does mean this week we can have at least one day interval between games. I am delighted to say I was bowling quite well. Beat Matt in two games and he creamed me in the third. We are both looking forward to the beginning of our winter league.

This morning, Wednesday, I have blood work. I have been 3 months without a cholesterol pill. They give me such cramps. As my doc has decided I really don't have diabetes (hmm!) after all, I said in that case can I stop the pill. I had to be off it for a while for them to find out if that's a good or bad thing. If you have diabetes they want your cholesterol to be as low as possible. I won't know the results for a week unfortunately.

This is a very simple recipe but one that we have always enjoyed when I am not too lazy to make it.

Selma's Cole Slaw

1 head cabbage, hand shredded
2 sticks celery, shredded
1 cucumber, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded, chopped
1 med carrots, grated
1 large onion, or more, chopped
2 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs Vinegar
salt and pepper

1. Prepare vegetables in a large bowl. Mix mayonnaise, vinegar and seasonings. Toss vegetables in dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning to preference.


Have a great day
 

Guest L. Diane Wolfe

Today I am delighted to have a guest blogger - L. Diane Wolfe – thank you so much for your contribution to my blog. Although not a vegan myself I can sympathise with this point of view. I don’t know if some of the products mentioned in the recipe are available other than in the US but I have no doubt other countries have similar products if you are interested in trying the recipe.  

Professional Speaker & Author

www.spunkonastick.net

http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com

www.thecircleoffriends.net

 

Known as “Spunk On A Stick,” Wolfe is a member of the NSA and a motivational speaker. “Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting”, ties all of her goal-setting and leadership seminar’s information together into one complete, enthusiastic package. She also conducts seminars on book publishing and promoting, and assists writers through her author services. Her YA series, The Circle of Friends, features morally grounded, positive stories that appeal to both teens and concerned parents. Wolfe travels extensively for media interviews and speaking engagements, maintains a dozen websites & blogs, and contributes to several other sites and newsletters. She is also a professional photographer and has supplied all the pictures for this blog with the exception of the Cheetah.

For the Love of Animals

Where I live in Eastern NC, I’m something of an anomaly. I’m a vegetarian. More specifically, I’m a vegan.

I’m often asked questions. I learned long ago not to get into a debate, so my attitude is this is just what I do and who I am now. I’m not radical about it. I just live my life. Why would I or anyone else choose to be a vegetarian? There are hundreds of reasons, including health, environment, and resources. My reasons include all of those things, but it began with one thing - a love of animals.

We’ve always had pets and I’m sure that’s what spurred my love for animals. We had fish, hamsters, rabbits, cats, dogs, and even chickens. I was drawn to cats because of their agility and power. (I used to add grace, but after years of owning cats, I’d like to debunk the rumor that they are graceful.) My love of cats included the big cats - incredible predators and beauty in motion.

It’s not just cats that are beautiful though. I believe all animals possess increible qualities and features. I’ve spent half of my life as a professional photographer and animals are a favorite subject. Through the ability to freeze the action and get in close, I can focus on that beauty.

The gorgeous texture of alligator skin.

    
The striking colors and delicate legs of web weaver spiders.
   
The soft fuzz on a moth.
   
The myriad of colors represented in black fur in sunlight.
   
 
The long eyelashes on a horse. 
 

The playfulness of a cow.
 
 
The raw energy and muscle of a running animal.

All of these things represent a living, breathing creature, designed with divine perfection. What I see is a beautiful miracle, one with a purpose beyond our consumption.

I’m not a vegan just because it’s healthier or better for the environment. I’m a vegan because I love animals.

And for those of you who would like to try a dish free of all animal products:

Tortilla Pie


Chop into small chunks and boil in water:
3-4 small, peeled potatoes
Chop and sauté-
1 small onion
Remove from heat and place in bowl. Dice and add-
8 oz. tomato sauce (can add a little salsa for zest)
Salt and pepper to taste
Chili pepper to taste
Drain potatoes, add to mix along with:
1 cup Boca or Morningstar Farms fake beef crumbles

Layer tortilla chips in 8x8 or slightly larger dish, covering the bottom. Add layer of mixture. Sprinkle Galaxy Foods shredded cheddar cheese over mix. Continue layering until mix is gone.

Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.

Serve with extra chips and enjoy!

Have a great day

Guest Post

Today I am supposed to be guest posting at the A to Z blog,  I have never done a guest post before so I am doing this flying by the seat of my pants. I plan to start tomorrow's blog by completing the post on the A to Z Challenge from today.

As yet there is no post. I will let you know when and where once I know.

OK here is the link http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2012/05/guest-post-jo-wake-victorian-cooking.html

Have a great day