Weekend, Aerial Spelunking?

We have a couple of places in the dining area with lots of silver and glasses and periodically we have to strip off the lot and polish the silver, wash the glasses and the ornaments, etc. It’s a thankless job but one I prefer we do as our cleaner tends to be a bit of a breaker plus it takes a long time and she wouldn’t have time to do anything else. It isn’t helped by back pains either, we have to take breaks periodically.  So we did one set on Saturday and the others on Sunday. We also have a few odd bits of silver scattered around the room which have to be done too. Luckily these days I have a product which lasts for ages so we don’t have to do it so often. At times like this I think “why the devil don’t I get rid of some of this stuff”? In fact I did get rid of some a couple of years ago but obviously not enough. Anyway, the upshot of this was that I figured we deserved something special for dinner on Saturday night so I made Kung Pao Chicken, the lighter version which I posted a while back. It is very good and we both enjoy it. I serve it with plain rice but one could also serve it with noodles. This is it cooking in the pan. This time I had all the ingredients and I increased the amount of snow peas which we both like. With a nice Pinot Grigio it went down very well. It calls for minced ginger from a jar, never come across that, but I keep fresh ginger in the freezer and it doesn’t take a minute to grate what I need.

I just got this photo from T + L Transporter. They send out some interesting things, but this one I was astounded by: Earlier this fall, an Austrian pilot completed the world’s first underground hot air balloon flight, steering a smaller-than-normal balloon through Croatia’s 675-foot-deep Mamet Cave. In my opinion, the Austrian pilot is nuts. I am not sure I would go down there under any conditions. Spelunkers have always seemed somewhat foolhardy to me. I don’t have claustrophobia but I don’t think I would be happy in some of those underground caves they explore. Although I watch film of spelunking with interest.

I haven’t eaten a baked apple in years, I don’t remember the last one. I used to quite enjoy them, but nowadays I don’t eat apples of any kind much. Not my favourite fruit. However, this does appeal and I might have a go.

Easy Baked Apples

WebMD Recipe

 
 
 
 
 

 
Ingredients

• 1 apple, green or red
• 1 tablespoon softened butter, or canola margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons chopped pecans, or walnuts

Instructions

1. Remove the core of the apple with an apple corer and slice 1/4 inch off of the apple bottom (to make a flat bottom). Place apple upright in a microwave-safe soup or salad bowl.
2. Blend 1 tablespoon of softened butter or canola margarine, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 3 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts together in a custard cup.
3. Fill the core of the apple with the mixture (there is enough to fill 3 apples). Cover apple with plastic wrap and microwave on HIGH until apple is tender (about 3 minutes).

Have a great day

Summer Fruit, Books.

I  just (yesterday) ate some Cantaloupe and I was thinking how much I love summer fruits. That is the thing which makes me most unhappy about the change of seasons I think. Peaches and Cantaloupes are my particular favourites, but cherries, and most berries all disappear around me and I savour them with much enjoyment. Some of them you can buy during the winter, but they aren’t the same.

After the Underrated Treasures Blogfest I have picked up a few book references in which I was interested. Trouble is I have so many to read already. Oh well, I guess I will never run out of reading material.

Not a lot happening in our lives at the moment, ran a lot of errands we have been putting off, you know how it goes. So that’s it for today.

This is a somewhat simplified recipe for Kung Pao Chicken it is also lower in calories. However, I would probably go for the more regular ingredients.

Kung Pao Chicken

Cooking Light

Cut calories and sodium by making this takeout favorite at home. This recipe delivers authentic flavor in less than 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced ginger
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)
• 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

1. 1. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.
2. 2. Combine 3/4 cup water and the next 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper), stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add water mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Add bell pepper and snow peas to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce thickens. Sprinkle with nuts.

Have a great day