Passed, Blog Search, Food.

I have passed my Basic Training in Lumosity and even got a certificate for it. I am now on to a speed training session. Woo hoo. Not sure how many different segments there are, they listed them, I didn't count. A couple of the exercises games I have problems with, my eyes are not as good as they should be, but I did pass them so that is the main thing. I have been doing these every day, they say I am improving, don't see a lot myself yet. Maybe I should do more each day. Well I'm damned, I have just discovered the blog search function at the top of this blog, just shows how wide awake I am. In my defense I don't often spend a lot of time on the final blog page, but mainly on the Compose page. When I am on the final page its usually to check up if anyone is reading my blog. I love my little Feedjit map - its fun to click on the dots and see where in the world they come from. I finally got my pesto done yesterday and it is presently in the ice cube trays so later I can pack it and store it for a long while. It does keep very well. Our basil plants weren't as healthy as they looked, probably because the poor things aren't getting enough sun. Nor are we. At this rate we are going to arrive in North Carolina looking like a couple of ghosts. *g*. I usually manage to get some colour by the end of the summer, but at this rate it won't be much. England has had more hot weather than us this year. Would you believe I was rabbitting on about getting fresh local strawberries while still available, we found some nice ripe ones and some cream and then I forgot them last night!!! Another thing, much to my surprise, I found Heirloom tomatoes in our local grocery store (Zehrs) and they were a whole lot cheaper than in David's at $1.82 a pound, David's had them at $4 something. Looking for a picture I found a quote of $40 a lb. I can't believe that. They certainly have a good flavour and are some of the best tomatoes I have had in a while. I didn't realise they came in so many colours. I bought yellow, orange and red for my Heirloom Tomato Tart. I got an Eating Well ezine this week which included several recipes for starters, I thought the following sounded pretty good and with almonds and olives, pretty healthy too. Green Olive & Almond Spread Makes 1/2 cup, for 6 appetizer servings ½ cup pitted briny green olives ¼ cup Marcona almonds or other almonds, toasted (see Ingredient Note and Kitchen Tip) 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon or ½ teaspoon dried 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Combine olives, almonds, tarragon and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add oil in a steady stream and process just until the oil is absorbed. (Alternatively, finely chop the olives, almonds and tarragon by hand and combine with lemon juice and oil in a medium bowl.) The spread should have a coarse but easily spoonable texture. Let stand for about 30 minutes for the flavor to develop. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Ingredient note: Spanish Marcona almonds have recently become more popular and more available. They're a little flatter than ordinary almonds, with a richer flavor. Always skinned, most Marcona almonds have already been sautéed in oil and lightly salted when you get them. Kitchen Tip: To toast almonds, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. My tip: You can also spread them in a nonstick pan with no oil and sauté them gently until golden. Have a great day.

Yellow Lobster, Red Tailed Hawk, Lumosity

I meant to mention it yesterday, a story in the news about a rare yellow lobster although I have to say in the picture it doesn't look yellow to me, more like a red cooked lobster, but apparently it isn't. Those are both live lobsters he is holding and the one on the left is the normal colour of a live lobster. Read story here. It is a very rare genetic mutation, 1 in 30 million. The present owner says he is not going to cook it. Personally I would be quite content with the regular one, it looks a nice size to me. I'm off to Cape Cod *g*. In the article they mentioned that the yellow one would have trouble avoiding predators, bearing in mind its size, it didn't have much trouble until man came along. In our local paper yesterday, The Record, there was an article and picture about Red Tailed Hawks nesting on a church in Cambridge which is a nearby town. A very cramped spot with not much room. Click here to see the article, this is the picture which we thought was quite fantastic with the bird mantling over it's eggs to protect it's nest. I had, of course, to send this to my sinlaw Mike who paints all the bird pictures, see links this page. I have been doing my tests on Lumosity every day, I mentioned the site a couple of weeks ago, for improving brain functions. I am pleased to say I am improving although it doesn't give me any basis for comparison with others. Maybe that isn't considered important. The website is Lumosity.com and if you are at all worried about your mental health, I can recommend it. We enjoyed our Little Slippers last night and have some left for tonight's supper. Here's an asparagus soup recipe. If I were making this I would use butter not margarine, but it is, of course, your choice. There is also a recipe for asparagus soup on Tim Barrie's website (Canada's First Solar Farm). Asparagus Soup Cookbook Wizard Recipe Software Servings: 4 Ingredients: 1 pound asparagus 2 cups water 1 tablespoon margarine 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup water 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules 1 teaspoon curry powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 cup low-fat milk 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel Instructions: Cut tips from asparagus stalks; reserve. Cut stalks into 2-inch pieces. Heat 2 cups water and the asparagus stalks to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until tender; do not drain. Pour asparagus with water into blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Heat margarine in 3-quart saucepan until melted. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup water. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in asparagus mixture, bouillon granules, curry powder, salt, pepper and asparagus tips. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Stir in milk; heat just until hot. Sprinkle with lemon peel. Have a great weekend.

Barrie's Farm, Alzheimer's.

Went to get more asparagus yesterday and discovered that Tim Barrie is planning to stay open all summer and to sell all kinds of fresh local produce which, funnily enough, ties in with what I wrote on Monday. Part of the 100 mile rule, you shouldn't buy anything that isn't produced with 100 miles of where you live. Only problem with that is, coffee is not grown locally and I cannot afford locally grown lamb. I have to buy New Zealand lamb and have been doing so for many years, even in the UK. Local lamb is twice the price - I am not disputing its twice as delicious, I don't really know, but we find NZ lamb expensive enough here. Friends buy local beef which they share with members of their family, think they probably buy a quarter or something. We don't really eat enough beef to justify it nor would we have room to store it all. I digress - Tim is already selling a lot of new things such as locally grown grape tomatoes, I bought some, they are presumably hot house at this time of year. He also has jars of home made asparagus soup, pickled asparagus, honey, and some kind of leafy greens in a bag, I didn't investigate. He has a small freezer there - not sure what it contains. Then there is rhubarb jam coming up (if its not already available that is). At this rate he is going to have to extend his building. I see he is planning on strawberries in season too. I guess I am going to be in Roseville, Cambridge, more than I expected. There is apparently a new self test quiz which will be becoming available on the internet in the near future. It can be completed very quickly and it is the most recent tool for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. There is an article click here which talks about the new test. Mind you, I'm not sure what early diagnoses of Alzheimer's does, they still don't have a way of curing the problem. I have mentioned before my concerns about Alzheimer's and senile dementia which is why I am using the tests daily on Lumosity.com which I find are excellent - and I am improving I'm pleased to report. An email yesterday from Robin Hood Flour gave me the following recipe. It is suggested for Father's Day. I don't have a father any more so will have to make them for Matt and I. In England these would be called pancakes, crêpe being the French word. In North America pancakes are more like griddle cakes but somewhat sweeter and likely to be eaten with Maple syrup, eggs and bacon, for breakfast. Last night we ate a delicious fish dish which I will pass on tomorrow. Spinach and Cheese Crêpes Preparation time: 30 minutes Baking time: Cooking Time: 30 minutes Makes: 8-10 crepes Freezing: Freezing: excellent (crêpes only) Crêpes are super thin pancakes that are usually made with wheat flour. For this delicious recipe, we’ve added spinach to the batter. Use your favourite cheese for the filling – these crêpes taste great with Swiss cheese but any cheese will do. Ingredients 8 nuggets Europe’s Best® Chef’s Spinach, frozen 8 nuggets 1 ½ cup ROBIN HOOD® Nutri™ Flour Blend 375 mL ¼ tsp salt 1 mL 1 ½ cup Carnation® Regular or 2% or Fat Free Evaporated Milk 375 mL ½ cup water 125 mL 4 eggs 4 2 tbsp butter, melted 30 mL 1-1 ½ cup shredded Swiss, cheddar or your favourite cheese 375 mL Preparation Crêpes: Cook spinach according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and dry well. Chop and reserve. Combine all ingredients for crêpes in a food processor, blender or bowl. Mix until you have a smooth thin batter. Cover and let rest 30 minutes. Add reserved spinach. Purée until blended. Heat a 10” (25cm) non-stick skillet or crêpe pan over medium heat. Brush pan lightly with butter. Add ½ cup (125mL) batter to pan. Swirl batter to cover pan. Cook until bottom browns, 2-3 minutes, and turn crêpe over to cook other side. Flip out onto clean tea towel. Repeat until all batter is used. You should have 8-10 crêpes. The first crêpe usually does not come out right, so do not worry. Crêpes can be frozen at this point. Layer them between waxed paper for easy removal, wrap well with plastic wrap and keep in freezer bag. Just remove as many as needed. Let defrost on counter, about 15 minutes, and follow directions for assembly. Assembly: Place crêpe on clean flat surface. Fold in half, sprinkle about 2-3 tbsp (30-45-mL) cheese over crêpe. Fold in half again. Continue with all crêpes being used. Melt 1 tbsp (15mL) butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add crêpes. Cook 2-3 minutes per side or until browned and cheese has melted. Serve immediately. Have a great day.

Lumosity, Weather, Market, M& Ms,

I have been meaning to mention a site I have found where they have brain puzzles. I have at least three relative who had senile dementia at the end of their lives, one my grandmother so in the direct line and it is something I have been scared about for a long time. The site I have found is called Lumosity and they have all kinds of brain puzzles to improve your brain functions. You can try the site out free for a week and then you can join if you wish, either on a week by week basis or by the year. To reach their website click here and give their puzzles a try. However old you are, it is always worth stimulating your brain. The games are quite fun although one is math and as I have mentioned, I am a mathematical dummy. May still isn't really keeping her promises, we have had lots of rain over the last three days. A week or so ago I was wearing shorts, now I am back in long pants again. Come on already, I want lots of sunshine please. I think I am suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). It seems to have been a very long winter and although spring has certainly sprung and there are lots of new leaves and green grass, we are short of sunny warm weather. Of course, in a week or two I will be complaining that it is too warm!!! OK, I am off to market this morning - will add a recipe to this later. Well, it is now about an hour later and I had no idea we would be in and out of the market so quickly. I mainly went for lamb's kidneys which you cannot buy anywhere else that I know of, there is a company, Charles' Meats, that specialise in lamb. I also bought some neck chops to make a hot pot which is something we love and again, I can't find that meat easily elsewhere. I was interested to see the asparagus was about the same price as Tim Barrie's although we saw red and yellow bell peppers at about $4 each. They sell practically everything at the market, however, I still miss the old market where they had places you could stop for a coffee and maybe a crêpe filled with paté or jam, or an Octoberfest sausage on a bun. I used to love watching the cooks making Black Forest Cakes, I think they brought the cakes in ready made, but they added fillings, icings and decorations at the market, used to be fascinating. Something I saw today was a pink loaf. I asked about it, it was just regular white bread with a die which people buy for fancy sandwiches etc. Wish I'd taken a picture now, I could have done with my new camera, didn't think of it at the time. I wanted to wander a bit more, but Matt didn't so we came home. On the way we stopped at M & M Meats and got some of their teriyaki marinated pork tenderloins and some more Chateaubriands. We were given a sample of some mini quiches. I liked the double cheese one, but not the spinach one, it was very bland. With our purchase we were given a free Chocolate Fudge Cake - I hadn't realised that was on just for today, Matt said it was the only reason we went there, ridiculous!!! Having talked about lamb's kidneys, here is a Spanish recipe for Riñones al Jerez pronounced 'rinyoness al hereth', or kidneys in sherry sauce which is one of our favourite ways to prepare lamb's kidneys unless we have a good old fry up for breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausages and kidneys etc. No - not baked beans - to me those are not a breakfast food. Riñones al Jerez Time Life Foods of the World Serves 6 5 Tbs olive oil 4 oz finely chopped onions 1 tsp finely chopped garlic 1 small bay leaf 1/2 oz flour 6 Tbs beef or chicken stock 2 Tbs finely chopped parsley 2 lb lamb's or calf kidneys, split lengthways in half, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1 inch cubes salt Freshly ground black pepper 6 Tbs pale dry sherry Heat 3 Tbs oil over a moderate heat in a medium sized frying pan until a light haze forms above it. Add the onions, garlic and bay leaf. Cook for about 5 mins., stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and transparent but not brown. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Pour in the stock and stirring constantly, cook over a high heat until the mixture thickens heavily and comes to the boil. Add the parsley, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes. Set aside. Heat the rest of the oil in a large frying pan. Sprinkle the kidneys liberally with salt and a few grindings of pepper. Then cook them in the hot oil for 4 or 5 mins. turning them about with a large spoon and regulating the heat so that they brown quickly on all sides without burning. Transfer the kidneys to a plate and pour the sherry into the pan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, meanwhile scraping in any brown particles clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the kidneys to the pan, stir in the reserved onion sauce and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer a minute or two. Taste for seasoning. Serve the kidneys at once, accompanied by saffron rice and garnished with strips of pimiento. Have a great day.