Snow, Bowling, Loonie,

Join me on the balcony?

Well, Monday has been all about snow. It has snowed almost constantly all day and as far as I know, it is still doing so this evening. We also expect more tomorrow. When it was snowing really hard Matt said there was no way we would be going bowling, however, watching such traffic as there was outside, they seemed to be progressing well and we are on a bus route which helps. I did NOT see any snow ploughs however, no idea what happened to those. Maybe too busy keeping the express roads clear. One of our team told me that she would not be coming bowling, I had guessed that because I know she doesn't like to

Anyone for Tennis?

drive in snow, but apparently another member had told her he wouldn't be coming either!! I was surprised as he drives an SUV. In the end, having asked the bowling alley what the main road outside their door was like, we decided to go as the snow had eased off. The roads were snowy, but it wasn't that bad so long as one took it carefully. Of course there were idiots out there driving too fast and who wouldn't have been able to stop if they needed to. There were quite a lot of people at the bowling alley, more than we had expected. I bowled, not very well, but... Only  thing is my back decided to play up instead so having only just about crept over the 100 points for the first two games, I ended up with a 140 game. Maybe I was thinking too much about what ached and not worrying about bowling.

I just pinched this from another blog, Viveka's My Guilty Pleasures,

 “Snow is like sex,

you never know how many inches you’re going to get
or how long it will last”
Unknown

Kind of listening to the TV, they are talking about low gas prices today (Monday) - we noticed on the way past that our local gas prices were 88¢ a litre. That, for us, is fantastic although I understand the economy is suffering from the low gas prices per barrel. I must admit I am not up on such economics, but this is what is reported on the news. Luckily we have no plans to travel anywhere so the low dollar doesn't affect us. But the loonie (as we call our dollar) is certainly taking a beating at the moment. In case you don't realise, the bird on the back is a Loon. Of course this situation doesn't help food prices and our weekly expenditure on groceries has gone up a bundle. Like the $7 cauliflower for instance. Trouble is, not a lot of veg can be grown here in the winter, anything that is would have to be in greenhouses, so most of our stuff is imported from Mexico or the southern States. I bet when gas prices go up again though, the food prices won't come down. Funny how it happens that way!!

I liked the sound of this although I  have never eaten papaya.


Green Papaya Salad with Tomatoes and Basil
Food and Wine

Chef Lee Anne Wong loves the crunch of green papayas, an ingredient that's abundant in Hawaii. She spikes her healthy salad with green beans, grape tomatoes and plenty of herbs.

SERVINGS: 10 TO 12


INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
5 small Thai chiles
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest and 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 lime zest
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 cups lightly packed julienned green papaya (from a 3-pound fruit)
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Thai or regular basil, sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves


HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a pie plate, toast the nuts until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
In a food processor, combine the chiles, garlic, lime zest and juice, fish sauce, honey and salt. Purée until smooth.
In a medium bowl, toss the papaya with the green beans, tomatoes, basil and cilantro. Add the vinaigrette and toss again. Fold in the nuts and serve.

Have a great day
 

Meadowbank, Loonie.

This morning (Tuesday) I had a chat with a friend in England. I hadn’t spoken to them for a long time. She happened to mention a street close to her and I remembered we used to live there when I was about 8 years old. Meadowbank, St. Margaret St., Rochester. I googled it and there is still an address for a Meadowbank, but it doesn’t look anything like the house I remember which was Georgian I think. It is at 92 according to the google info but that is not the same house at all. I wonder what happened to it. I can’t imagine it would have been knocked down

I gather, from the news headlines, that our dollar (Loonie) has sunk to an all time low because of the sinking gas prices. No wonder it cost me heftily when I exchanged some dollars today. In case you are unaware, it is called a Loonie because of the picture of one on the back of the coin. We also have a toonie of course which just follows from being worth two Loonies I guess. I’m not sure where this picture came from as all the Loonies we have the bird is just floating in the water. I guess, looking at it, it was for the Olympic games.

Today, in England, is Guy Fawkes Day when Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy throughout the country because of his involvement in trying to blow up the houses of parliament whilst the king was there.

Remember, Remember the 5th of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

I have never made pierogis but I have a friend in NC who does and I used to devour them. This recipe looked pretty simple. I have copied it with instruction pictures as well. It was on the P and G website (Proctor and Gamble) as I used to work for them, many years ago, I think I should be able to borrow their recipes.

Homemade Pierogi Recipe

By: Jackie Bruchez
 
No need to buy the frozen version when this version is much fresher and just as quick! 
 
Pierogies are Polish noodle dumplings that can be filled with a variety of mixes. Traditionally, it’s a very time consuming dish to make, but this quick recipe takes about half the time. You’ll have a delicious meal or snack on the table in no time!

Serves: 4

Ingredients1 package fresh lasagne sheets*
225 grams (1/2 pound) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
30 mL (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
1 mL (1/4 tsp) kosher salt
1 mL (1/4 tsp) ground pepper
250 mL (1 cup) grated dry farmer's cheese
75 mL (1/3 cup) sour cream

*Tip: To make simple homemade pierogi dough, combine 225 grams (8 ounces) of sour cream, 625 mL (2 1/2 cups) of flour, 15 mL (1 tbsp) softened butter, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. Knead together and roll flat.

Instructions
In a medium saucepan, bring potatoes to boil. Cook until fork tender. Once cooked, drain and mash with a fork. Add salt, pepper and melted butter and stir

1. Mix in shredded cheese with mashed potatoes
   
2. Cut fresh lasagne pieces into 7 1/2-centimetre (3-inch) rounds using a cookie cutter or a glass
   
3. Place 15 mL (1 tbsp) of mashed potatoes in the centre of the dough round
   
4. Wet the edges of the round and bring both sides to meet each other to make a half-moon shape. Pinch close and press edges shut with the edge of a fork
5. Heat a tablespoon of butter or oil in a pan over medium heat and briefly sauté the pierogis until they are slightly crispy and brown on the exterior. Then add 15 mL (1 tbsp) of water, cover the pan and steam for about 3 minutes. Remove and cook until water has dissolved
6. When they are browned on one side, flip the pierogis and pour a few mL of water in the pan and cover to steam for about 3 minutes
7. Remove cover and cook until the water has dissolved. Place pierogis on a serving dish and serve with a dollop of sour cream

Filling SuggestionsPierogies are also delicious when filled with a caramelized onions, bacon, sauerkraut and horseradish. Simply make the pierogis as instructed above, but add the additional desired ingredient on top of the mashed potato before closing the round.

Have a great day