Weight Loss, Kindle,

This dieting business really is a pain when you are ancient, diabetic and pumping all kinds of pills into your system, all of which are, I understand, reasons I lose weight so slowly. I have finally clocked up 23 lbs. but that’s since January and it has become so slow lately. Luckily I am able to eat things I enjoy most of the time although obviously there are things one has to avoid. I walk 30 minutes a day on my treadmill, but pretty slowly so it doesn’t burn up a whole lot of calories. I am gradually increasing the speed, but with the vascular problems I have had and am still having, it does have to be very gradual. Couldn’t do it at all without a good book to read. God bless my Kindle.

Talking of my Kindle, I knew it was possible to read it in the sunlight, but I had never had occasion to try it. Yesterday I decided to try it when I was endeavouring to catch a few rays. Lo and behold, it really works. I gather it’s because of the paperwhite technology, whatever, it’s marvellous. I am actually very impressed because so many electronic things you cannot see in sunlight. I am still reading the same series of books by the way, the trilogy is The First Empress, In Her Name. I did proof read a book in the middle of this, it was such an exciting book too that I couldn’t decide which one to read so ended up reading them almost simultaneously.

Only a month to go before we head dahn Saath on vacation and I am already beginning to salivate at the thought of fresh seafood, particularly shrimp, so when I saw this recipe, I had to share it. Matt and I would eat this in one sitting although maybe I wouldn’t these days as it would be 438 calories for half the quantity.

Lemon-Garlic Marinated Shrimp

WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com

Marinating precooked shrimp in garlic and lemon-infused oil is a simple yet elegant appetizer.

Makes 12 servings as an appetizer.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 pound cooked shrimp
Instructions

1. Place garlic and oil in a small skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. 
2. Toss with shrimp in a large bowl. 
3. Chill until ready to serve.

Have a great day

Bowling, Isaac, Lottery Win, Kindle Freebies.

Regretfully, although I am a lot better, I didn’t feel up to bowling yesterday so Matt went on his own. He apparently bowled pretty well for his first time out.

I find it quite funny that Hurricane Isaac is going to ‘interfere’ with the Republican Convention in Florida, just saw a headline which said Isaac was forcing them to be nimble. Isn’t that what politicians do all the time? Beg your pardon, it’s the organisers who are being nimble. The article I read talks about the entertainment at the convention? Entertainment? Why do they need that, surely they are there for political reasons not to make whoopee? Guess I’m wrong again. Reports are saying Isaac will strengthen to Category 2 by the time it hits land – its landfall being more or less where Katrina hit at this time of the year, 7 years ago. Look at this idiot in Florida diving into hurricane waves. People won’t be told. Having lived through a bunch of hurricanes when we were in North Carolina, we make damned sure to be as far as possible from where they are. Or at least to be sure to be in a strong building. Not jumping into waves caused by hurricanes.

An article about an Ontario couple who have just won $25 million and propose giving $12 million to their family. Way to go, would like to be in a position to do that for our family. Isn’t if funny how some people are lucky, apparently a few years ago they won $10,000 with a scratch crossword ticket. You can win $50,00 on those.  Meanwhile, the best we have ever done is $80 and that was years ago.

I have been enjoying some of my free Kindle books recently; considering they were free, there have been some very good stories, some being the first in a trilogy of course, but very often a very good book which is a stand alone. Found a couple of those lately.

I have never cooked spare ribs although I do enjoy them when I get the chance. Mostly I never cooked them because Matt thought they were more like sucking bones until he had some a friend made and he enjoyed those. The one’s in this recipe look delicious, maybe I will try them. I found the recipe on Cooking.com

Pork Spareribs with Red Currant Sauce

Source: Outdoor Entertaining
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For Marinade:
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 cup red currant jelly
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 - 1 teaspoon chili sauce to taste
For Spareribs:
2 pounds pork spareribs

DIRECTIONS
FOR MARINADE: Combine onion, garlic, jelly, honey, soy sauce and vinegar in a large bowl. Stir in the chili sauce and black pepper.
FOR SPARERIBS: Add spareribs and stir well to coat with marinade. Cover the dish and leave overnight in the refrigerator, or for at least 30 minutes so the meat can absorb the flavors.
TO COOK: Remove spareribs from the bowl (reserving marinade). Place ribs in a single layer in a baking dish and bake in oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Pour off the excess fat from the dish. Spoon on the sauce and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees, turning the ribs occasionally and basting with the sauce. (If necessary, the sauce may be thinned during cooking with a little stock or orange juice.)

Have a great day

Bowling, Cooking, Wikipedia and Kindle.

I forgot to mention, yesterday, how pathetically I bowled on Monday. I don’t think I bowled that badly the first time I ever tried the game. I barely scraped over a 100 for each of the three games, I didn’t reach my average once. However, I did find out I had qualified for the next round of a tournament, only trouble is, the guy who is my partner will probably not wish to go on. Maybe Matt, who also qualified, and I can pair up.

A pet peeve of mine, I watched a cook (I refuse to call anyone so uninformed, a chef) on Good Morning America preparing a stew and he kept talking about caramelising the foods. You can only caramelise something with a sugar content, like onions, not chicken. For the English amongst you, by the way, over here that is pronounced “karmelizing”.

I just donated a few bucks to Wikipedia. I think they have an excellent and if I could, I would donate a lot more. I use them a lot, especially writing my blog, and hope more of you will support them with a few shekels. As you see, I now have a logo on this page.

I have just had to get in touch with Amazon as I have discovered that there is something wrong with the jack for earphones. I was offered some free audible books which I downloaded. They played fine on the Kindle, but obviously other people won’t want to listen to them. I have three sets of earphones and not one would work, I thought that meant I had to have special earphones so I ordered some. They arrived yesterday and didn’t work either although they worked fine with my laptop. I phoned Amazon and they are now replacing my Kindle plus I am returning the ear buds. Good service. I wondered if I could pay to upgrade, no such luck.

Somewhere, recently, I saw mention of Welsh Rarebit and immediately thought, I haven’t eaten that in years. I then decided to look on line for a recipe but all the ones I came across were altered versions of what I knew as the original. I turned to my trusty Mrs. Beeton’s cookery (1935) and found the kind of recipe I remember. I made it for supper last night and thought I might have done something wrong, but in the end it was delicious.

Welsh Rarebit

1/4 lb. of Cheshire or Cheddar cheese

1/2 oz. butter

2 Tbs. either milk or ale (I used cream)

1 tsp. made mustard (we are talking Colman’s here)

Hot, buttered toast.

Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the cheese grated, stir until melted, then add the milk or ale gradually, mustard, and season to taste. Have ready some hot buttered toast, pour the cheese preparation on to it and serve as hot as possible. Sufficient for 3 persons.

Have a great day.

Bowling, Janus Cat

Wasn’t too sure if I would be going bowling on the Travel League yesterday, but I went and it was fun. Had a chicken Caesar for lunch and then bowled two good games and one lousy one. Par for the course I guess. Matt did very much the same. It was great to see people we hadn’t seen all summer – I was surprised one of our friends had been to England in June. Didn’t know he was going. We have a few new people on the Travel League one of whom we discovered is on our team for our Monday Senior’s League.

The doc’s office called with Matt’s blood test results, but no-one called about my X-rays, I didn’t think to ask at the time and then it was too late to call them. I am very anxious to know what turned up, if anything.

Of course today is bowling on our regular league, we haven’t Friday bowled yet this season and I am not quite sure if I am up to it again. Ve shall see. Sorry to rabbit on about my health, but as you get older, it becomes somewhat of a preoccupation. A friend says when we were younger we talked about sex now we are older we talk about illness.

An incredible story caught my eye about a Janus cat or a two faced cat which was only expected to last a few days and has now survived for 12 years. The owner saved it from being put to sleep but nobody thought it would survive. It has two faces, two mouths, three eyes and its owner calls it Frank and Louie. Sorry, I don’t think I would want to live with such an animal although I am sure there are many who wouldn’t hesitate. Must admit I have been wondering which mouth it uses to eat or does it use both?

I complained to Amazon.com about their new introduction of various Kindles in particular because there is a very inexpensive one as well as the top of the line one at $199. They apologised but said if I wanted to order one they would waive the postage and handling. Big deal, I am not too happy with them. I sure am NOT going to buy a second one when I only bought the one I have in July. Am I being unreasonable?

I tend not to enjoy foods made with apples especially if they are desserts, but when it comes to savoury things, I am often there with the best of them. Eating Well are currently promoting apples as being the best fruit you can eat for your health and here is one of their recipes. We always have pork tenderloins in our freezer, buy some really nice ones from Costco.

Apple-&-Leek-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

From EatingWell: September/October 2009

Stuff pork tenderloin with apple and leek to take it from ordinary to elegant. Our easy method of tying the roast together keeps the filling inside while you brown and roast it. We use applejack, brandy made from apple cider, for depth of flavor in the pan sauce, but you can use 1/2 cup cider if you prefer.

4 servings Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
• 1 cup chopped leek, white and light green parts only, rinsed
• 1 sweet apple, such as Braeburn, Honeycrisp or Macoun, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 1 sprig, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1-1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup applejack or apple brandy
• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add apple, chopped thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apple is beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool. Rinse out the pan.
3. To butterfly the tenderloin, lay it on a large cutting board. Holding the knife blade flat and parallel to the board, make a lengthwise cut through the center of the meat, stopping short of the opposite edge so that the tenderloin remains in one piece. Open as you would a book. Cover with plastic wrap. With a meat mallet, rolling pin or heavy pan, pound the pork to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
4. Spread the apple mixture in the center of the pork, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Starting at a long side, roll up the pork to enclose the filling. To keep the stuffing from falling out during roasting, fold in about 1 inch of the two short ends. Tie kitchen string firmly lengthwise around the roast to secure the two ends. Then tie it crosswise with string at 2-inch intervals. Lightly brush the roast with 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and brown the roast on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer the roast to a rimmed baking sheet (set the pan aside). Place in the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°F, about 15 minutes. Let rest on a clean cutting board for 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Crush garlic with the flat side of a knife. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add applejack (or apple brandy), thyme sprig and the garlic; bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Whisk cider and cornstarch and add to the pan. Return to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by just over half (to about 3/4 cup), 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the garlic and thyme. Whisk in mustard and any juice from the baking sheet. Slice the pork and serve with the sauce.

Nutrition

Per serving :366 Calories; 11 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 7 g Mono; 74 mg Cholesterol; 27 g Carbohydrates; 24 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 561 mg Sodium; 534 mg Potassium

Have a great day

Turandot, Supper,

Last night I went, with a friend, to see the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Turandot on film. I quote “Franco Zeffirelli’s glittering production of Puccini’s Turandot, with Maria Guleghina in the title role and Marcello Giordani as Calàf, makes its debut on Great Performances at the Met. Marina Poplavskaya sings Liù, Samuel Ramey is Timur, and conductor Andris Nelsons makes his Great Performances at the Met debut.” If you are unfamiliar with the story of the opera, there is a good synopsis here. Most people, even if they are not opera buffs, are familiar with the aria Nessun Dorma which became Luciano Pavarotti’s signature aria and I don’t believe anyone ever sang it better, or maybe ever will. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance, it was beautifully done and the singing was wonderful. In fact one tended to forget it was a film and we started applauding. I was somewhat  flabbergasted at the size of the back stage area which we saw quite a lot of, and the actual stage itself which in a couple of finales must have held something in the region of a couple of hundred people. The costumes of the court were fabulous, and the scenery was, also, very impressive. During the intermissions a lot of the lead cast were interviewed and I was particularly impressed that Samuel Ramey has been performing at the Met for over 50 years. I will certainly go again if I have the opportunity.

Before we went to see the movie, we ate at a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant in Cambridge (the cinema was in Cambridge) and shared some spring rolls and then had noodle soups, my friend had beef and I had a seafood one. It was delicious. Quite inexpensive too. My friend’s sister joined us at the cinema and she bought a pack of liquorice twizzlers which she insisted we eat. I wasn’t thinking and had some and then asked for the sugar content, surprise, surprise they were pretty high. I did not have any more.

I have finished my library book so now I can start on Stormlord’s Exile by Glenda Larke which arrived on Tuesday. Can’t wait. I was surprised, talking to my friend, who reads much the same things as I do, she has never read the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan, as you may remember, I recently re-read them all and am anxiously awaiting the last book which is due out next year. I just might gradually treat myself to the books on my Kindle.

For those who like Thai, here is a recipe which sounds pretty good  to me, I love mangoes so I will definitely be trying this in the not too distant future.

Thai Chicken and Mango Stir-Fry

From EatingWell: January/February 2010

Both ripe and underripe mango work well in this chicken and vegetable stir-fry. If the mangoes you have are less ripe, use 2 teaspoons brown sugar. If they’re ripe and sweet, just use 1 teaspoon or omit the brown sugar altogether.

6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fish sauce (see Note)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1-2 fresh small red or green chile peppers, stemmed and sliced, or 1/2-3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 cups bite-size broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 mangoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, preferably Thai
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine fish sauce, lime juice, cornstarch and brown sugar to taste in a small bowl.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken; cook, stirring, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil, garlic, ginger and chiles (or crushed red pepper) to the pan. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add broccoli and water; cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add mangoes and scallions; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the reserved sauce and chicken; cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in cilantro, basil and mint. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving :195 Calories; 5 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 44 mg Cholesterol; 20 g Carbohydrates; 21 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 531 mg Sodium; 557 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat

Tips & Notes

• Ingredient note: Fish sauce is a pungent Southeast Asian condiment made from salted, fermented fish. Find it in the Asian-food section of large supermarkets and in Asian specialty markets. We use Thai Kitchen fish sauce, lower in sodium than other brands (1,190 mg per tablespoon), in our nutritional analyses.

Have a great day.

Extreme Lightning, Health Tips, Sea Turtle. Books.

A couple of interesting segments on GMA yesterday, one was about lightning storms in Venezuela where they have something like 300 such storms a year, usually around midnight, 40,000 bolts a day. Experts do not know why this particular area is subject to so much lightning. The pictures were pretty spectacular.

The second item was an interview with Dr. Memmet Oz who is a cardiothoracic surgeon and who has just come back from touring different countries where his television programme is aired. A couple of things I found interesting – from China he recommended T’ai Chi for which I have always been a great advocate, there is a video on GMA of a master doing three exercises taken from a T’ai Chi routine. From Australia he said blowing the didgeridoo is great for people with sleep apnea because it strengthens the muscles at the  back of the throat. Even if you happen to have a didgeridoo handy, they are not easy to play. Here is a video of Larry 'Winiwini' Gurruwiwi playing one http://youtu.be/DC9w4KWEgJE. Dr. Oz went on to recommend Noni Juice which comes from Hawaii. I have tried it, it doesn’t taste bad, but it is pretty expensive for all its health benefits, Robyn Roberts apparently can’t stand the taste so Dr. Oz said she could drink pineapple juice instead. He started off in Turkey where his parents still live and from there he particularly recommended hazel nuts and Purslane leaves for a good diet. He said the Turks eat Purslane mixed with yoghurt. I used to grow Purslane in NC it comes in all kinds of colours, but I didn’t know I could eat the leaves.

Another amazing story is about a sea turtle who’s shell was cracked by the propeller of a boat. The shell was repaired by a combination of vets, biotech firms and an orthodontist. I assume it is under sedation in the picture. Propeller accidents occur quite often in waterways where people are speeding up and down in their pleasure boats. Manatees are often damaged this way.

Not to be forgotten, I also finally received the case for my Kindle and also Glenda Larke’s last book in her Watergiver’s Trilogy Stormlord’s Exile, having got the first two I was really awaiting this last book anxiously. Actually it seems this month several of my favourite authors have new books coming out. I have a library book to finish before I can start the book though. If you haven’t yet read this trilogy, I can highly recommend it, as I can all of Glenda’s books. Karen Miller also has a new book out, a Blight of Mages which I am also sure will be a good story as all the rest in the series have been. What I don’t understand, how can they be selling used books already when the book has only just been published?

As usual I am passing on the recipe from Mushroom Canada which looks particularly delicious this time.

Mushroom and Pork Souvlakia

1 lb. pork tenderloin 500 g
3 tbsp olive oil 45 mL
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 25 mL
1 large clove garlic, minced 1
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 7 mL
1/8 tsp Each dried rosemary & black pepper 0.5 mL
16 medium whole fresh mushrooms 16
1 large lemon, cut into wedges 1
Wooden skewers

Cut pork tenderloin into 1”(2.5 cm) cubes. In a large glass bowl or resealable plastic bag mix oil with lemon juice garlic, oregano, rosemary and pepper. Add mushrooms and pork to mixture and toss to coat. Cover or seal and marinate 2 –24hours in refrigerator, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile soak skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Alternate mushrooms, pork cubes and lemon wedges on or water-soaked wooden or metal skewers. Barbecue over medium high heat, about 5-7 minutes per side or until pork is slightly pink in the centre. Makes 4 servings.

Variation: Add pieces (1”/2.5 cm) of green or red sweet pepper and 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil to the marinade and alternate with other ingredients on skewers OR substitute lamb leg or chicken breast for pork
Tip: Instead of barbecuing the kabobs may be broiled in oven or cooked in 425ºF (220ºC) oven.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 256, Sodium: 52 mg, Protein: 28.5 g, Fat: 13.6 g, Carbohydrates: 5.0 g, Dietary Fibre: 1.5 g

Have a great day

Fantasy, Heat Problems, Mail Delivery.

Yesterday, Glenda Larke had a guest blogger (see Tropic Temper link this page) Alma Alexander, who is a writer. One thing she said which particularly resonated with me,  I paraphrase, all fiction is fantasy, a tissue of lies. Something I had never thought of and I don’t suppose many people have. It is a very good response to those who denigrate so called fantasy fiction. I haven’t the imagination to write fantasy, but often wish I had; although from all I have read since starting this blog, I don’t have the dedication these writers have to have as well. Alma Alexander has written a number of books including a young adult series, the first of which is World Weavers:  Gift of the Unmage. I often enjoy young adult books so I will certainly check these out.

I have been complaining about the heatwave we have in this part of Ontario; Thursday we are supposed to hit 36ºC which is about 97ºF with lots of humidity. That’s nothing to what some of the Midwest States are getting, with temps well into the hundreds. A report yesterday said its so hot it is setting off people’s fire alarms, now that’s hot. Of course one of my friends in Australia would think that was cool, she loves temps in the 40s. Way too hot for me. There have been lots of heat warnings in the States, particularly for the elderly and the very young. Plus warnings about how hot cars can get when left parked in the sun. I don’t remember the quoted temps but a car can get hot enough to boil your blood. At least once you get to your car you can switch on the air, but its the folks who leave their animals in a parked car who really need to heed this warning, don’t do so. I have also heard of a baby being left in a car parked in the sun. No it didn’t survive, nor would anything alive.

We actually got some pieces of mail today, some of which I know  were mailed before the strike, some I know was mailed after. However, we are still missing quite a few bits and pieces. One thing I did discover today, the bank can email me my statements apparently. I know I can get them electronically but I tried that for a while and find things get very complicated because they use different descriptions to me and things get muddled up. One thing I haven’t yet received is the case for my Kindle – its taking longer to get that from Amazon.ca (Canada) than it did to get the Kindle itself from Amazon.com (US).

Corn is now available at the local farms and fresh tomatoes soon will be, here is a recipe using both which sounds pretty good to me.

Tomato-Corn Pie

From EatingWell: July/August 2010

Tomatoes and corn have a natural affinity for one another: the slight acidity of tomatoes balances the sweetness of the corn. Here they partner in a delicious quiche-like pie. The dough is very forgiving and bakes up into a sturdy shell that’s great for just about any savoury pie or tart. Perfect for a summer brunch or try it with a tossed salad for a light supper.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

Crust

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 large ear; see Tip) or frozen
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. To prepare crust: Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, add oil and water and gradually stir them in to form a soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, preferably deep-dish, and press into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any overhanging crust. Line the dough with a piece of foil or parchment paper large enough to lift out easily; fill evenly with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil or paper and weights. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.
4. To prepare filling: Whisk eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Sprinkle half the cheese over the crust, then layer half the tomatoes evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle with corn, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Layer the remaining tomatoes on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour the egg mixture over the top.
5. Bake the pie until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving :258 Calories; 14 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 9 g Mono; 88 mg Cholesterol; 24 g Carbohydrates; 8 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 379 mg Sodium; 217 mg Potassium

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 lean meat, 2 fat

Tips & Notes

• Ingredient note: Look for whole-wheat pastry flour in large supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Store it in the freezer.
• To remove corn kernels from the cob, stand an ear of corn on one end and slice the kernels off with a sharp knife.

Have a great day

Hydro Poles, Kindle, Nutrition, Religion. John Nash.

Here’s an odd one, I heard on the radio that hydro (electric) poles are being stolen. I think so far the total sis 8. They are worth about $700 each apparently. Who on earth would steal them and why would they want them? For my no-Canadian readers, electricity is referred to as hydro here. I have told the story of my confusion about this when we first came here, we had a thunderstorm and then after it, the robins were singing themselves stupid and we were listening to them with our neighbours out in the front yard. One of them went indoors and came out saying the hydro was off, was ours, so I went indoors and turned on a tap which was running fine so I went out and told them.

I have, of course, been playing with my Kindle and am somewhat disappointed to discover I cannot borrow books from my library although other systems can do so. My friends who have Sony readers borrow library books all the time. The librarian suggests I get in touch with Amazon. I have been able to transfer many of my existing ebook library to the Kindle so I have now something like 100 books on it but I have read all these books before. I certainly cannot afford to shell out lots of cash to buy books from Amazon. The odd one now and again I guess. It turns out that Kindle will be launching a library access feature in the near future but only for American libraries at the start. I wonder how long this will take to get to Canada?

Michelle from Smothered in Butter (see link this page) was thrilled to discover she had been chosen for blog of the month by the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution team. She is the spearhead for our local ‘conversation on restoring family nutrition’. This is such an important item and I am glad Jamie Oliver’s team are supporting us, maybe we could get Jamie to come to this area, wouldn’t that be great.

Friday afternoon, late, we finally got our car back. Apart from a major financial deal, it was something of an ordeal for Matt. The guy who owns the garage where the repairs were done, turned out to be a Jehovah’s Witness so Matt was bombarded with religion on the day he took the car in and again when he was picked up yesterday. He was also given some booklets to read, all this after he told the guy he was an atheist. I don’t care what you believe, but don’t bend my ear about it please, especially not in a business situation. Now all I have to do is pay off the credit card.

Friday night we watched A Beautiful Mind, I thought I had seen it before, I hadn’t – what a great movie – it was about Dr. John Nash who was a Nobel prize winner for a mathematical theory he developed as a very young man and which has revolutionised finance all over the world and been used in other applications. Russell Crowe did an excellent job playing the part, one of the best things I have seen him do. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend it.

Eating Well is now saying chillies are not only good for taste but also the capsaicin is good for weight loss. If so, try this recipe they give.

Red Chile-Spiked Chocolate Mousse

From EatingWell: September/October 2010

Hot chile peppers may do more for you than add heat to your next meal. Studies show that capsaicin—a pungent compound in hot chiles—increases your calorie burn by boosting your metabolism. It may also stimulate brain chemicals that help us feel less hungry.

The idea of chile with chocolate still surprises most people, but the duo pairs beautifully in many chocolate desserts. In this silky, luxurious mousse the chile adds a light but bright accent.

8 servings, about 1/2 cup each Active Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes (includes chilling time)

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 4 tablespoons water, divided
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons mild-to-medium New Mexican red chile powder, plus more for garnish
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup low-fat milk
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 teaspoons dried egg whites (see Note), reconstituted according to package directions (equivalent to 4 egg whites)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preparation

1. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Combine cocoa, granulated sugar, chile powder, espresso powder and salt in a large saucepan. Whisk in egg, then milk. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until steaming and just beginning to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the softened gelatin, chocolate and vanilla. Stir until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated.
3. Beat egg whites, brown sugar and cream of tartar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed just until firm peaks form.
4. Stir one-fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in the remaining egg whites until fully incorporated. Spoon the mousse into 8 dessert glasses or cups.
5. Chill the mousse until set, at least 2 hours. Sprinkle with chile powder, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving :158 Calories; 4 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 28 mg Cholesterol; 30 g Carbohydrates; 5 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 97 mg Sodium; 245 mg Potassium

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 carbohydrates (other), 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• Note: Pasteurized dried egg whites are a wise choice in recipes that call for uncooked egg whites. Look for brands like Just Whites in the baking or natural-foods section of most supermarkets

Have a great weekend

Kindle, Kids, Kidnapping, Wallets.

My Kindle arrived today, I am so happy, I have spent a large portion of the day figuring out how things work and have found a lot of books I already own on Fictionwise.com can be sent to my Kindle so I can have them with me all the time. I used to read them on my Palm Zire but it doesn’t hold that many  books and I cannot read it in sunlight. The Kindle will, I believe, hold 3,000 books, I cannot imagine my ever having that many ebooks although I do have 226 on Fictionwise, not all of which can be moved to Kindle. What is even greater, I can read whilst walking on my treadmill which I have never been able to do with a regular book. It actually does quite a lot of things, but I haven’t figured them all out yet.

Report on GMA this morning, restaurants in some places are banning children under 6 yrs. old and even some airlines are doing the same. This is angering some parents who are really teed off about this but as someone commented, the kids probably are, and should be, the centre of your world, but not other people’s. I agree, particularly badly behaved kids which so many are these days. Discipline seems to be a thing of the past. Crying babies is not something you can do a lot about, but crying babies have no place in a restaurant. Stay home or get a baby sitter. I realise its hard, but that’s part of having kids, sorry.

The Jaycee Dugard story has produced another young woman, Elizabeth Smart who was also abducted although she was not held as long as Jaycee. She has started a foundation part of which is oriented towards child porn and working to prevent and end it but principally to prevent kidnapping, torturing and raping children.

Another segment, Melody Hobson, their financial guru, was looking at people’s wallets. She was horrified at what some people carried including their social insurance cards, several credit cards, bills from credit card use and so on. If you lost your wallet or had it stolen, your i.d. could be stolen very easily. I will certainly stop carrying my social insurance card from now on. More than one credit card is inadvisable also because it creates opportunity for more debt than you can handle. Bills can often carry personal information. She also said not to carry your passport although I am not sure what you would do with it, hotel safe probably, if you are staying in a hotel that is. Basically don’t carry anything with you that you don’t need.

I don’t have any of our shrimp left, not til we head south to North Carolina, however, this simple Kraft recipe looks very good.

Pineapple-Shrimp Skewers

Kraft Kitchens

12 servings

6 Tbsp.KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing

4 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

4 tsp.brown sugar

2 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp.chili powder

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

24 frozen uncooked cleaned medium shrimp, thawed

12 fresh pineapple chunks (1 inch)

Make It

HEAT broiler.

MIX first 6 ingredients in medium bowl until well blended. Add shrimp and pineapple; toss to coat.

THREAD 2 shrimp and 1 pineapple chunk onto each of 12 skewers.

BROIL, 6 inches from heat, 4 to 5 min. or until shrimp turn pink.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

How to Spiral-Cut the Pineapple

Cut off both ends of pineapple; place upright on cutting board. Remove peel by making lengthwise cuts from top to bottom of pineapple, working your way around pineapple. Lay pineapple on it's side. Following the diagonal pattern of the eyes, remove eyes by making shallow v-shaped cuts in pineapple. Cut pineapple crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Remove core from each slice.

How to Safely Thaw Shrimp

Thaw frozen shrimp in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. Or, place the sealed package in a bowl of cold water and change the water every 10 min. until the shrimp are completely thawed.

Have a great day

Kindle, Vincenzo’s, Tasting.

Amazon.com have a special on the Kindle at the moment, Matt was talking about buying me one for my birthday, but…. Actually I have now been doing a bit of research. I have something like 226 ebooks in a library with Fictionwise and it appears I could download the majority of them onto a Kindle or even a Barnes and Noble Nook. I hadn’t realised there were so many ebook readers on the market, I came across quite a few others during my research. I think I might still opt for the Kindle though, particularly as its on special at the moment. I basically can’t make up my mind whether I want one or not, I have been reading ebooks on my Palm Zire 31 for a number of years, its pretty small by comparison, but still quite adequate except on a sunny day but then I rarely try and read outside anyway. We figured out the reading area is about 1/3 of the Kindle. I also would like a flat screen monitor for my desktop. Decisions, decisions.

I forgot to mention when I was talking about Vincenzo’s yesterday, they do packets of duck wings confit something I have never seen for sale before. Didn’t buy one, but am bearing it in mind for future purchase perhaps. We didn’t spend as long looking at things as I would have liked, but we will be back.

My friend from South Africa who was recently here in Niagara posted more of her pictures. I particularly liked this one which was taken by one of the staff at Chateau de Charmes. We were having a taster or two at the winery which was a delightful place. I think I mentioned it is owned by a Frenchman. Their tasting room is not dark and mysterious as such a lot seem to be but on the contrary, light and airy.

Carrot soups are always an interesting feature on a menu and this sounded a good one. I wouldn’t bother with gluten free stuff for myself but if you are allergic to it then it would be important.

Curried Carrot Soup With Cornbread Croutons

By The Gluten Free Goddess WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Slow cookers are just the best when the weather turns warm and breezy. It frees you up from kitchen duty just when you need it most -- supper time. Enjoy the time with your friends and family, and let the crock pot do all the heavy work!

Ingredients

Olive oil 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 to 2 teaspoons mild gluten-free curry powder, or to taste (can substitute with regular curry powder) 1 leek 4 large carrots 1 sweet potato Half a banana squash {butternut will do in a pinch} Fresh water, as needed Sea salt, to taste

Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix (can substitute with regular cornbread mix)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 tablespoons chopped jalapenos

Instructions

For the soup:

Plug in your slow cooker and turn it on to high. Pour a drizzle of olive oil into the bottom. Add in the chopped garlic and curry powder. Stir and cover. Let the curry infuse the oil as you chop the vegetables. Wash the leek, trim, and slice the white section. Peel, trim, and chop the carrots. Peel and chop the sweet potato and squash. Place all the chopped veggies into the warm crock and stir. Add just enough fresh water to cover them. Season the soup with sea salt to taste and cover.

If you keep the soup on high it will cook faster -- say, four hours or so, depending on your make and model. If you need to stretch out the cooking time, turn the slow cooker on to low. It will be ready in perhaps six hours. If you need to stretch it a bit longer I don't think it would hurt, as long as you've put enough water in the crock. The soup is ready when the carrots are tender and split easily using a fork.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender until the soup is silky smooth. Taste test. If it cooked down too much and is a tad thick, add some liquid {for extra creaminess use a dash of coconut milk, although I didn't add any extra "milk" and we loved the fresh, clean taste} and gently heat through for another 10 minutes. Serve with pan toasted cornbread croutons.

For the easy cornbread croutons:

Started with Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix. Follow the directions on the package, substituting the eggs, and using water and olive oil to keep it vegan.

Add the following ingredients to the mix:

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 tablespoons chopped jalapenos {skip if you need it less spicy}

Baked the mix in a 9-inch cake pan and cooled it on a rack. Slice the cornbread into eight wedges; then wrap each one in recycled foil, and bag for freezing. Use one thawed piece of cornbread for two people. Cut the cornbread into cubes. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in some olive oil. Add the cubes of cornbread. Gently toss them from time to time as they sizzle and get golden. Remove with soft-tip tongs. Serve hot sizzling croutons on top of the soup.

Total Servings: 4

Have a great day