Shopping, Gout, Lunch, Cooking.

After I had approved the bed making this morning, LOL, I phoned the grocery store to discover the artichokes had come in last night. I decided to shoot down and get some (if shooting is any longer possible) I had also called Victoria St. Market as, for some reason, the grocery store has no tonic water. They had some smallish bottles so figured I would go there too. I parked round the back of the  grocery store as I figured it was easier for me, walking with a cane, than the other side. I was lucky and picked up a shopping cart near where I parked. I then saw a young man bringing in carts and disinfecting them so asked him to disinfect mine. All set so I went in and found the artichokes. I also picked up a couple of white flesh peaches, these are the only ones which fit the freestone description. They are not very ripe yet but they should be OK later. I picked up a few other things like raspberries and Portobellas,then back to the car. Went to VSM and picked up the bottles of tonic, ended up with two lots just in case. They had more fresh corn so I decided to get some. Saw some home made looking butter tarts which I thought Matt would enjoy. I had one later in the day, not bad. Don't think I will eat any more though, not good for my sylph like (I wish) figure.

Getting home, my feet were killing me. Did I tell you I have gout in my big toes. I am a tad embarrassed - not sure why except, to me, gout is something old men who sank a bottle of port every day, suffered from. I remember one saw pictures of them with a foot up on a stool with the foot being swathed in bandages. It's something which comes and goes and right now it is raging in both feet. I take medication but it doesn't seem to be doing anything at the moment.

By this time, of course, it was lunchtime so I made lunch for both of us and, at the same time, popped a couple of artichokes in the Instant Pot. Didn't really mean to, but couldn't resist them once they were cooked so finished off my lunch that way.

Finished my book and started the Alex Trebek book which I got from ladydog. Didn't get very far when I couldn't keep my eyes open. Not the book's fault, I was just tired.

I had taken shrimp out of the freezer for supper and I suddenly thought of the Jambalaya recipe I have been making for years and yet not for a number of years. It used to be a big favourite of a friend in NC who had a shrimp boat and would give me a pile of shrimp so I would make it and bring it to a party. He would then eat it for breakfast and for any meal he had enough left for. I don't really know why I haven't made it for so long. Anyway, I realised I had some rice from last night so off I went. I had to improvise a bit mind you. I used a red pepper, sweet onions as I had no green onions and I used grape tomatoes which worked fine. Of course I had to cook the shrimp but chilled them in the freezer for a while. Not that long although I then left the whole dish in the fridge until I was ready to serve and got complaints that it was too cold. I thought it was fine myself. The recipe came from the Cambridge Times (think that's what it was called) many a long year ago. I also cooked the corn beforehand and much to my surprise, Matt ate his.

Jambalaya

2-1/2 cup water
1 cup converted rice
1 tsp salt
3 tsp red pepper sce (hot)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 lb cooked shrimp (I usually use more)
1 cup diced ham
1/2 med green pepper cut in 1 x 1/4 in strips
4 green onions, with tops, sliced
2 med tomatoes, roughly chopped

1. Bring water to boil, add rice, 1 tsp salt and red pepper sauce. Simmer 20 mins. covered. Remove from heat, let stand approximately five mins til liquid has disappeared. Put in a large bowl. Combine garlic, oil, remaining salt with rice. Add rest of ingredients except tomatoes. Chill a minimum of 3 hours. Stir in tomatoes to serve

Servings: 4



Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

PSWs, Lunch, Driving to the Farm, Supper, Barbra Streisand, Eagle?

Sorry to keep on about the PSWs but they are my major concern at the moment. This morning, Friday, Glen who has been with us several times, came at 9:30 ish which wasn't too bad. He also mostly remembered the exercises. The only trouble is, I won't be getting the same guy every time so I will have to teach them the exercises. No rest for the wicked.

I then had lunch, earlyish as I wanted to get mine over with so I could then do Matt's. He likes to eat at 12. I missed out on asparagus yesterday and only at lunchtime today did I remember we had missed out on bananas too, we normally have one every day. I am forgetting which day it is lately. I had some asparagus for breakfast and then finished up what I had in the house for lunch plus finishing up the food from lunch the day before. All scraps lately.

After lunch, we headed to the car and went to the asparagus farm. A lovely day to go for a drive and it is mostly country so quite a pleasant trip. Especially as they have re-surfaced a long stretch of the road we travel which makes it nice and smooth to drive on. Winters really screw up our roads here although, with global warming, I guess that will improve. Unless things change, that was my last trip for this year although they don't stop selling asparagus until July 1. I guess I could squeeze in one more trip, maybe.

For supper I made myself the salad I posted yesterday. Matt tasted it and didn't think much of it, I am so glad, I got to eat all of it. Well, I  more or less knew I would anyway, he has really gone off asparagus this year. I noticed, leaving the farm, that the corn is growing well and is looking good for August. ladydog will be pleased. Asparagus is not in her book, but she does love corn. Me, I love both.

Looking for something to watch on TV, I found Barbra Streisand on Rogers on Demand. I selected that for Matt to watch and intended to get on with blogging and Spanish. I don't much like her. Except tonight I thoroughly enjoyed the whole concert, it was excellent. It kept Matt happy too, he didn't know who she was at first but recognised her name. She was always one of his great favourites and tonight was no exception.

Matt saw a brief glance of what we believe to be the young Bald Eagle tonight. I missed it this time. It would be lovely if our little park attracted them to nest here next year.

Asparagus Guacamole

Excellent, I actually thought it was nicer than standard guacamole. It was light and the wonderful

flavour sweet flavour of asparagus just shone through. It really is delicious!

1 1/2 lbs asparagus, trimmed
1 Tbs reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 medium jalapeno pepper, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/8 tsp table salt, to taste
1/8  tsp black pepper, to taste

1. Bring large pot of water to boil.

2. Add asparagus and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Drain.

4. Place asparagus into food processor and purée until smooth.

5. Stir in remaining ingredients and serve.

Servings: 1

Author: Nat Da Brat

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Lost Blog, Lunch, Pink Manta,

As some of you are aware, I accidentally deleted yesterday's blog. When I was at the garage having my car repaired, I was telling the guy in the office about the pink manta and told him how to get to my blog on his phone. He did that. Also saw the recipe and said "I will have to follow your blog" but, he couldn't find the way to follow which is normally on the side of the blog. So I tried to find it on my phone which, as you know, is brand new and which I don't really know how to use  yet, so what dd I do, deleted the blog. Luckily I found it again when I got home, it was elsewhere on my desktop but I couldn't find the comments. I'll have to be careful not to mess around on my blog on the phone until I know what the heck I am doing.

ladydog popped in for a quick lunch today and brought us a couple of maple candies for Valentine's Day. Only Valentine I got or am likely to get these days. I did think of ordering some flowers but didn't in the end.

Hm, I thought those pictures were a bit vivid, it turns out the Manta Ray has only got a pinkly shaded underside. How disappointing. Mind you, it is still pink which is somewhat unusual to say the least. Some of the shots look pinker than others.



I went to Victoria St. with ladydog and bought some scallops for tonight. However, I ended up cooking the rest of our frozen shrimp in batter which are pretty delicious. Was going to do the scallop dish I posted the other day but think I still have something of a stomach upset still. Been freezing all day when people assure me it is quite warm in the apartment.

I started watching The Avengers, Back to the Future. I turned it off in the end. Was having trouble understanding what they were saying until they played music which was so loud it knocked you off your feet. Except for one or two characters, I didn't know who all these people were, and I found the plot too entangled to follow.

I thought these looked rather good, especially if you have a nice sauce to dip them into.

Arancini (Italian Rice Balls)

2 eggs
2 1/2 cup[s cooked rice (preferably short grain or aborio rice)
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/2 cup grated parmesan cheese or 2/3 cup romano cheese
1 tsp fresh minced garlic (or 1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder) (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 -2 teaspoon dried parsley
2 tsp seasoning salt
1 -2 tsp ground black pepper
3 oz mozzarella cheese (cut into small cubes)
oil, for deep-frying
COATING
2 eggs, beaten
flour, for coating
1 cup fine dry breadcrumb

1. In a bowl lightly beat 2 eggs.

2. Stir in cooked rice, melted butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic (if using) parsley, seasoned salt and pepper.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Roll into 1-1/2-inch balls.

5. Press a cheese cube into each ball then reshape rice balls.

6. Place the flour into a small bowl.

7. Whisk 2 eggs in a small bowl.

8. Place the dry breadcrumbs in a small bowl.

9. Dip each ball into flour, then into the egg and then lastly into the breadcrumbs.

10. Heat oil to 375 degrees, then fry rice balls until golden brown (about 4 minutes).

11. Drain on paper towels.

Yield: 4-6

Source: Food

Have a great day

Laboratory, Lunch, Supper, Jeopardy, Honey,

One thing at  least, Matt had to have blood work done today an, unlike the doctor, the lab is a 15 minute walk, if you can walk that is, so a kick and a spit by car. There is a doctor there, I just wish I could get on to his books. No go though.

Later, ladydog picked us up and we went to lunch at Red Lobster which I now have been told that someone calls Dead Mobster. Unjust. I always enjoy my food there. I thought today's was very good, It is lobsterfest at the moment so of course I had a dish with lobster, two kinds of shrimp and scallops. Yummy. Matt had his usual tilapia and ladydog had pasta with a lobster and shrimp sauce.  Matt and I ordered Chocolate Wave Cakes to go and the ice cream they serve with it to eat there. Matt's dessert was free of course. I have to wait til September to get my free dessert.

I had planned to have macaroni cheese cooked in the Instant Pot tonight. Haven't had it for a while. Much to my horror, only a small spoonful of macaroni left. In the end I took two chicken breasts out of the freezer and did a dump and go recipe in the Instant Pot. Finally, when I went to release the pressure, the pin was already down. I opened the lid with trepidation but no steam eventually I realised the frozen chicken had stuck to the inner pot. Never happened before. So I had to set it cooking again. In the end, it turned out just fine. However, I have made a note to myself never to let the frozen chicken sit on the bottom before I add the rest of the ingredients. I don't know if it showed BURN or not, the sauce was bubbling but the chicken was by no means cooked. Live and learn.

Funny, watching Jeopardy tonight, I managed to answer a question which stumped the contestants, it was Panama Canal. I knew it because ladydog did the trip last year and I had checked out the actual route through the canal out of interest. Clever me. Well I thought I was clever anyway.

Matt loves cheesecake - me I'm not so keen. He would probably enjoy this one. I notice it says honey will keep up to a month, I was always given to understand that honey would never go off. Mind you, I always buy it at the farm. Decided to check my facts:

Shelf life for commercial honey has been established at around two years. Honey stored in sealed containers can remain stable for decades and even centuries! However, honey is susceptible to physical and chemical changes during storage; it tends to darken and lose its aroma and flavor or crystallize.

Farmer's Cheesecake with Strawberries

For this elegant, no-bake cheesecake, Nicolaus Balla ferments his own farmer’s cheese (a kind of

cottage cheese). Ricotta mixed with cream cheese makes a delicious substitute for the filling, which is incredibly light, delicately sweet and wonderful inside the crumbly graham cracker crust

CRUST
5 Tbs unsalted butter
3 Tbs sugar
1 1/4 cups packed graham cracker crumbs (10 to 12 whole crackers)
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of cinnamon
FILLING
1 lb fresh ricotta cheese, at room temperature
1/2 lb cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tbs agave nectar
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of ground ginger
TOPPINGS
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 cup honey

1. Make the crust

In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar over moderately low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with the salt, ginger and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch fluted tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.

2. Make the filling

In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the ricotta with the cream cheese, agave nectar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and ginger just until smooth. Using a spatula, spread the filling in the chilled crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings

In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice. Let stand at room temperature, stirring once or twice, until the berries are juicy and slightly softened, about 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings

In a small saucepan, toast the caraway seeds over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a mortar and lightly crush the seeds. Return the caraway seeds to the saucepan and add the honey. Warm the honey over moderately low heat for 10 minutes. Strain the honey into a bowl, discarding the seeds; let cool.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings

Cut the cheesecake into wedges, top with the strawberries and caraway honey and serve.

Servings: 8

Author: Nicolaus Balla
Source: Food and Wine

Author Notes
The cheesecake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. The honey can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Have a great day

Doctor, Visitor, Lunch,

Managed to persuade the doctor's office to get the doc to call us and give us the rundown on Matt's ultrasound and X ray. That saved us the pain and drag of going to their office. Nobody phoned yet though. Now it is bedtime and still nobody phone, guess I may have screwed that all up right royally, but taking Matt such a distance in the first place and then waiting, as one does, to see the doctor, makes him get very agitated. I have to take him for blood work in the morning, maybe I will have time to phone them  before we go out to lunch with ladydog.

Margaret, the Social Worker, called again this morning. Not sure why, just checking up on us or something. I remembered to ask her where she was from, Ghana was the answer. Nice woman. Still having a little trouble understanding her. Says she will phone me in a couple of weeks.

A I mentioned, we have planned, ladydog and I, to take Matt to the Red Lobster tomorrow for a birthday lunch. He received his free dessert coupon this morning. Chocolate Wave Cake in the offing once again.

I thought this might be a meal worth trying. I have an idea they could be adapted to be cooked in the air fryer, not studied it closely yet.

Loaded Cauliflower Bowls

Enjoy these comforting roasted cauliflower bowls topped with cheese, bacon, scallions and sour

cream on their own, or add grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a full meal

6 cups small cauliflower florets
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
½ tsp ground pepper, divided
¼ tsp salt
2 scallions, thinly sliced, divided
4 Tbs sour cream
4 slices cooked bacon, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.

2. Toss cauliflower and oil together in a large bowl. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet; roast until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Return to the bowl and stir in 1/2 cup Cheddar, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, salt and half the scallions. Divide the cauliflower mixture among 4 bowls, then top each with sour cream, bacon and the remaining cheese, scallions and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Servings: 4


Source: EatingWell

Have a great day
 

Shopping, Lunch, Exercise Class, TV,

Up early in order to get ready for our cleaner who comes at 8:30. I gave her her Glassify teapot with which she was delighted, I'm pleased to say. I think the Glassify products are very attractive. Seems women think so, not sure men agree. She brought us chocolates, just what I need. I keep telling here she shouldn't be buying us a present anyway. I then dashed off to the grocery store to pick up my shopping. I took a little extra time to purchase something I wanted then left there and decided as I was close by, I would go to the liquor store. The store stands all on it's own and has no shelter round it of any kind. With the result that, on a windy day, the wind literally whistles round the building and just traversing from the car to the front door is almost painful. I park closer than most because I can use a wheelchair spot, but cold doesn't come into it. I was like an icicle when I got inside. When I get back, I call our cleaner and she comes down to help get the groceries upstairs. Wish she was here every week.

Tomorrow ladydog, Matt and I are going to Red Lobster for lunch - pre Christmas. I have been receiving emails about free delivery before Christmas. Discovered today that that was a US promotion. I wasn't best pleased. Why am I getting such emails?

Went down to exercise class after lunch. We now have a new member, a male. Bit surprising as he is young compared to us oldies who are normally there. Friday will be the last class before Christmas. Resuming again on the 30th apparently. However, we are bowling on both the 23rd and the 30th so won't be there. In fact the 23rd  is our bowling banquet.

In the afternoon a friend turned up with a two way switch box and after a certain amount of effort, we can now watch both DVDs and VHS tapes. He wouldn't take a penny for the gadget. Just said Merry Christmas. Considering Best Buy Geek Squad wanted to charge me $99.99 I was very grateful.

Here's another simple and delicious looking recipe from Kevin Lynch and Closet Cooking.

Balsamic Soy Roasted Garlic Mushrooms

Simple and tasty mushrooms roasted in a balsamic-soy and garlic sauce!

2 lbs mushrooms
1 Tbs oil
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs soy sauce (or tamari)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. Toss the mushrooms in the oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, arrange in a single layer on a baking pan and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until the mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes, mixing half way through.

Servings: 4

Have a great day

Alzheimer TEACH, Cell Phone, Shopping, Lunch, Octopuses and Fires

I arrived at the Alzheimer offices early this morning and took out my cell phone, not something I use a lot normally. The battery was almost flat so I plugged it into a wall outlet in the meeting room. Today was interesting at the TEACH programme, we all tried to persuade one of our members that she needed help. She feels bogus for asking so doesn't do so. Not sure how you can make someone do that.

After I left the meeting today, I went to the grocery store and was almost there when I realised my phone was still plugged in to the outlet at the ALZ office. This meant I couldn't call the PC Express people to say I was there, or anyone else. I couldn't call ladydog to tell her I was back and so on and so on. Walking is not my best pursuit, helps if I have my walker, but I only had a cane not anticipating having to do any moving around. So, I ploughed upstairs intending to find Customer Service, they have moved it, and then thought I should go collect a parcel from the Post Office. Did that then went back to the store. Quite a walk for me. I asked the girl at the new Starbucks where Customer Service was now, I had forgotten where they had moved it. Another long walk, I groaned so she offered assistance. She phoned PC Express for me and also phoned ladydog. Phew. It had been chucking it down all morning so I arranged to meet ladydog in the underground parking area. She thought it was hilarious that I had forgotten my phone at the ALZ offices.

When I got upstairs I was greeted by a load of cleaned silver sitting on the table, it was my job to put it all back!!! First we did most of the groceries and then ladydog went home after a short visit with me. Had a short visit with Zoey (the dog) too. She is shedding!!! Matt and I then went to Red Lobster for lunch and I ate the Nashville Hot Shrimp plus two helpings of breaded shrimp. Yummy. I could, of course, have had more but three servings was plenty. I was stuffed anyway. We then both were given a Celebration Dessert (Ice cream covered in whipped cream, chocolate ganache and some kind of other ganache) and we brought home some Chocolate Wave Cake, one of which we didn't pay for. Not a bad deal at all. I then went to pick up another package, turned out to be a replacement ink cartridge from HP. Finally, went to pick up my phone. Nobody had noticed it. Home again and I then finished putting away the groceries and the silver. By the time I had finished all this, I was knackered. For supper we just had soup and then some ice cream. That was quite enough work for the day.

Watched an interesting programme about octopuses (I thought it was octopi but apparently not) and how very clever they are. A scientist had an enormous aquarium in his living room with an octopus which they were studying. They discovered, among other things, that octopuses definitely recognise people and this one, which they treated as a pet, used to watch TV with them!! Really.

Right now there is a programme about last year's forest fires and about forest fires in general. Pretty horrifying for those who lived amongst these forests.

Reading this recipe it seems it might be adaptable to an Instant Pot.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Apples and Wild Rice

Erick Harcey, one of Minneapolis’ most celebrated chefs, serves this braised chicken with his

supreme riff on Rice-A-Roni. Tart Granny Smith apples and cider vinegar not only tenderize the chicken thighs but also act as the base for the incredible sauce.

6 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 oz vermicelli, broken into 1 / 2 -inch pieces
4 shallots, minced
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
9 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 cups wild rice (12 ounces)
1 Tbs chicken bouillon powder
5 Tbs unsalted butter, divided
6 Tbs minced chives, divided
3 Tbs chopped parsley
2 Tbs chopped thyme, divided
Kosher salt
Pepper
3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3 Granny Smith apples, 2 apples cored and diced, 1 apple halved, cored, and thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups lightly packed baby arugula
2 cups lightly packed watercress
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1. In a medium saucepan, warm 3 tablespoons oil over moderate heat. Add vermicelli and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vermicelli to a bowl. Add minced shallots and half of garlic to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add vermicelli, 6 cups broth, wild rice, and bouillon, and bring to a boil over high. Cover and simmer over low heat until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons chives, parsley, and 1 tablespoon thyme; season with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until shimmering. Add half of chicken to skillet, skin side down, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.

3. Add diced apples, remaining half of garlic, and sliced shallots to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 cups broth, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then nestle chicken in sauce, skin side up. Transfer skillet to preheated oven, and braise until chicken is cooked through and very tender, about 45 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and place chicken thighs on a plate. Set skillet with sauce over moderate heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Whisk in cream and remaining 3 tablespoons butter until incorporated. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons chives and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Return chicken, skin side up, to sauce.

5. In a medium bowl, toss together arugula, watercress, sliced apple, lemon juice, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to plate; serve with sauce, salad, and wild rice.

Servings: 6

Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day
 

Squirrels, Exercises, Stew,

Funny, I talked about squirrels yesterday and to night PBS showed a film about them. I didn't realise there were so many families of squirrels, nor did I realise that Prairie Dogs and Chipmunks were part of those families. Probably should have done. I knew they had clever brains, but one squirrel variety can increase the size of it's brain in winter and decreased in the spring so that it can recall the position of some 9,000 nuts it has secreted during the year. People say they forget the nuts they hide, but according to the documentary, it is more likely they didn't need the others. They bury some 10,000 every year. Another fascinating ground squirrel can confuse a predataory snake by first throwing dirt on it which allows it to listen to the rattle so it can estimate the size and danger of the snake, it can then pump extra blood into it's tail which it waves at the snake which is sensing the warm blooded animal and the increased blood in the tail makes the snake think it is much bigger than it is and changes its mind. I knew squirrels were clever, but it was fascinating to see this documentary.

I went down to exercise class this afternoon and the room was very warm, used to have two standing fans there but now there is only one. I managed fairly well I am pleased to say. I then came back into the apartment and just conked out. I am not sure how long I slept, but it seemed like forever.

Mind you, I made my Spiced Beef in Red Wine this morning. A lot harder work than I remembered. All the prep work was really playing havoc with my back. However, I have to report success. We ended up having it for supper although I had kind of thought of just doing it for the freezer. I still have close on 1 lb of beef to use up but am out of leeks. I was very pleased with the results though. Having checked a few recipes on line, I did flour the beef before I cooked it.

Just before lunch, ladydog called and said she was on her way. She thought we were going to the Red Lobster today instead of tomorrow. However, looking at my calendar tonight, I wonder if I goofed. I certainly intended it to be Thursday so I could go to exercises today, but I had written it down for today. Either way, we are definitely going there tomorrow. If I goofed ladydog, I apologise.

I thought this chilled soup sounded good although there is a lot more than just peaches and goat cheese.I think I might try this over the weekend.

Chilled Peach Soup with Fresh Goat Cheese

Chef Jason Franey of Seattle's Canlis makes this sweet and tangy summer soup by marinating fresh peaches overnight with dried apricots, honey, vinegar and olive oil and then pureeing the mixture.

Since peaches can vary in flavor, Franey suggests seasoning with vinegar to taste as you purée

3 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 4 peaches)
1/4 cup finely diced peeled seedless cucumber, plus thin slices for garnish
1/4 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper, plus thin slices for garnish
1/4 cup diced dried apricots
2 Tbs honey 3 tablespoons crumbled fresh goat cheese, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar, plus more for seasoning
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
1 large garlic clove
2 cups diced baguette (1/2 inch)
Basil leaves, for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a bowl, toss the peaches, diced cucumber, yellow pepper and apricots. Add the honey, 3 tablespoons of goat cheese, 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Add the garlic. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Discard the garlic. Transfer the contents of the bowl to a blender and purée. Add 1/4 cup of water and purée until very smooth and creamy; add more water if the soup seems too thick. Season with salt and vinegar. Refrigerate the soup until very cold, about 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the diced bread and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the croutons to paper towels and season with salt.

4. Pour the peach soup into shallow bowls and garnish with the sliced cucumber, sliced bell pepper, goat cheese, croutons and basil. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with black pepper and serve.

Servings: 4

Source Food & Wine

Author Notes
Pairing wine with soup can sometimes feel like too much liquid at once, but in this case, a glass of Champagne gives a nice lift to this fruity soup. Pour a refreshing Brut like the NV Henriot Brut Souverain or the NV Gosset Excellence Brut.

Have a great day
 

Lunch, Weight, Morse,

Been a pretty quiet day today. I didn't even have to do any cooking as I had chili from last night.

However, ladydog came at lunchtime bringing not only lunch, but her dog Zoe who I haven't seen since she was a puppy. Not a puppy now. Delightful dog. She is an Australian Sheepdog which are not Australian at all but bred in California. She was very obedient and when she found Matt's chocolate, one word and she left it alone. I hadn't even thought about it. Wouldn't have left temptation in her way. Our last doggy visitor wasn't tall enough. Poor Zoe is also missing her companion as much as her owners I think.

Lunch was subs and Subway keep having a sale on, 12 cookies for $6 and ladydog keeps buying  them even though she isn't eating them herself. I need to cut back too, I am not being very resolute about this and have got to be severe with myself. I lost weight in 2013 and kept it off until the last few months, now I not only put back the 20 lbs I lost in the hospital, but I am putting some of the 50 lbs back too. One half of my brain is saying what does it matter, you are 80 the other is saying do something Josephine. Got a feeling I wrote the same thing the other day, too lazy to check, so sorry, but I have to give myself a good talking to.

One thing I need to start doing is going back to the workouts provided by Community Services. Most of the year I can only go one of three afternoons because of bowling, but I really need to go to the other two classes. Mind you, in the last few months there have often been medical appointments clashing with the classes.

Thursday is my night for watching British shows on TV. They have brought back Inspector Morse which I used to enjoy - the original one with John Thaw as Morse. In fact John Thaw died in 2002 which shows you how old these shows are, but I still enjoy them.

This recipe is from Campbell's. They come up with some good ones - obviously using their products. I liked the sound of this one. I just might have a go at this tonight. No seafood medley of course, but I have the sausage, shrimp and chicken thighs so I am sure I can adapt.

Seafood Paella

1 tsp olive oil
2 andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup red onion, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, medium diced
1 cup frozen mixed seafood medley
1 Tbs garlic, chopped
8 saffron
1 Tbs Cajun seasoning
1 tsp paprika
2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes with liquid
2 1/2 cartons CAMPBELL’S Stock First ® Chicken stock
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

1. In a large ovenproof sauce pan,heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage,onion,pepper and chicken and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes or until the chicken and the sausage is golden brown. In a separate bowl soak saffron threads in chicken stock for 3 minutes.

2. Add the mixed seafood,garlic,Cajun seasoning,paprika and rice to the sauce pan and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Add the diced tomato,chicken stock with soaked saffron and remaining chicken stock and bring it to a boil.

3. Remove the pan from the stove,cover with a lid or aluminum foil and place in oven for 25 minutes or until the rice is properly cooked.

4. Remove from oven,add lemon juice and cilantro and mix well.

Servings: 4

Source: Campbell's

Have a great day
 

Trader Joe's, Charcoal, Lunch, Hospital,

Friday I was wondering about Trader Joe's products and whether we could buy them in Canada. The answer is - yes, through Amazon.ca, but not many items. I remember eating at a Trader Joe's many years ago, I know I was attending a conference, but can't remember which town I was in at the time. I also remember I enjoyed whatever I ate. As it was some 40 years ago, roughly, I can be pardoned for not remembering  the details.

Talking of restaurants, there is one here we haven't been to for a while, the Charcoal Steakhouse, and I was thinking the other day (pass it on the way to get asparagus) that we should do so. They do very good pigtails there I recall. Long time since we were there so they might not have them on the menu any more. They used to have the place split into 3 or 4 different restaurants with different atmospheres and some different food choices. I know friends of ours used to go there all the time.

Friday ladydog picked up some subs and came to lunch. Brought some lovely lilac with her, the lilacs have been absolutely beautiful this year. I have noticed the most gorgeous bushes this year, full of flowers. Always loved lilac. Had a really enjoyable lunch but she didn't stay all that long. Afterwards, I finished pickling/canning two more jars of asparagus and 4 small jars of the ends which I had to cut off. These have just gone in the fridge as cold pickles and will get consumed very quickly.

We are spending most of Monday in the hospital whilst Matt gets his kidney stone zapped. As I understand it, we won't be leaving til around 3. Matt has removed his jewellery, amusing it says to remove his piercings too. Hasn't got any thank goodness.

I have never tried these but re-reading I think I might do so. I only have one serving of asparagus and I jokingly told Matt I would go while he was in the hospital. Not sure when I will get there. Could open my canned ones I suppose, I don't think so.

Asparagus and Jalapenos Cornbread Muffins

3 Tbs coconut oil
1/3 cup apple sauce or reduced/cooked peaches
1 large egg
1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup gf flour (Bobs Red Mill)
1/2 tsp baking soda
Sea salt and pepper
1 red chili/ jalapenos, diced
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped BUT save tops for garnish.

Preheat oven to 350°F and coat muffin tin with coconut oil. Mix all wet ingredients together with peppers and asparagus. Mix dry ingredients together thoroughly and slowly incorporate into wet batter. Pour into muffin tins approx. 1/4 full. Finish with aspara-tops. Bake for 15/20 minutes until golden.

Author Notes
Good for up to 4 days fresh OR freeze for a couple weeks. Great with a fried egg, with preserves or what we did at home is use for sloppy Joe’s using Walter All Natural, Craft Caesar Mix.

Have a great day
 

Wednesday

Hm, running late, fell asleep watching Nova. Previously watched a great Nature programme on elephants called The Soul of Elephants. Only thing that spoilt it was they said in the time we had watched the programme (less than an hour) 5 elephants had been poached. An amazing husband and wife team who get really close to elephants, incredible pictures and insight into their lives.

ladydog turned up at lunchtime today and suggested Subs. Great idea. She and I went down the road to get them and we came back and enjoyed lunch together. Matt said he had really enjoyed it.

I then went to make stuffed peppers in the Instant Pot. I had done them last week, it was a resounding success. I did them this week and it was a resounding disaster. They fell apart on me and didn't work well at all. We did eat a couple of them for supper, but... I had a pack of 6 peppers, went to get the last one out and it was almost completely liquid. Never seen a pepper do that.before, the rest were fine. I complained and as I had to go get some shopping I went and got another pepper.  I also got some more ground beef and I still haven't split it up to freeze.

Gotta get up early to get my tooth pulled, looking forward to that. It rained today, hope it doesn't tomorrow or I will be a tad damp walking to the dentist.

I am getting a new power supply for my computer, I had the option of a new one or a used one and opted for the new. Probably silly but... Supposed to get it back tomorrow.

All for now.

Have a great day
 

Drivers, Thai Restaurant, Shopping, Supper.

Phoned Community Support again this morning, I can't believe they can get me a driver whenever I want one to go to the hospital, but although other people do, I cannot seem to get one to help me with my shopping, well collecting it and bringing it upstairs at least.

Don't think I mentioned that one of the Community Support Drivers told me there was a good Thai restaurant "just up the road" literally, from where we live. ladydogj and I decided to go try it today although Matt wouldn't try and go with us. She arrived around 11:30 and told me off because I hadn't written a blog! It's one of her ways of checking up on us.

Left about noon and went to the Pho Tran Restaurant. Their menu is enormous but eventually we both settled on Pho (soup) and some spring rolls. I had a shrimp and noodles pho, I think ladydogj had beef in hers. My only complaint, in a big soup bowl, the shrimp had their tails on. Grrrr. However, the pho was delicious as were the spring rolls. Took some of those home with me for Matt. It was really nice to get out again and have a girl chat (OK old lady chat) yes, I know ladydogj, you aren't as old as I am.

I needed to go to the liquor store, turned out ladydogj did too so she took me to one close by, I had completely forgotten it was there, it is such a small store.

Home again and Matt had eaten the lunch I left for him so saved the spring rolls for supper. That is what we had, I warmed them in the air fryer. I also decided to cook some pot stickers so during the afternoon I prepared my "dip" which I know Matt enjoys. I made a double whamo today and have saved some for another day.

ladydogj uses her Instant Pot to cook ribs. I have never cooked ribs but I am going to give it a go. Neither of my husbands like "bones" although I love them.

Fall Off the Bone Ribs in 30 Minutes!

Instant Pot makes the ribs fall off the bone tender, and the boiler or grill finishes them off with a beautifully caramelized crust. Pick a barbecue sauce you love – whether it’s store-bought or

homemade, any sauce will do!

1 slab baby back ribs
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 cup apple juice
1 cup BBQ sauce divided, 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup

1. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of slab of ribs. Cut slab in half if it's too big for your Instant Pot.

2. Pour apple juice into Instant Pot. Place ribs into pot, drizzle with 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce and secure lid. Make sure it's set to "sealing."

3. Set it to Manual timer for 25 minutes. It will take a few minutes to heat up and seal the vent. Once timer counts down, let sit another 5 minutes then release steam by turning valve to "venting." Turn on oven to broil (or heat your grill) while you're waiting for the 5 minute resting time.

4. Remove ribs from Instant Pot and place on a baking sheet. Slather on both sides with remaining sauce.

5. Place under broiler (or on grill) for 5-10 minutes, watching carefully so it doesn't burn. Remove and brush with a bit more sauce. Pull apart and dig in!

Servings: 4

Source: The Spicy Apron

Have a great day

Hair Salon, Red Lobster, Bowling, Headlamp,

So, both of us needing our ears lowered, we headed off to the hairdressing salon Wednesday morning. Matt went first and I was given a cup of coffee. Then a man with mental problems came in so he had

his buzz cut. I got my hair done after that. She ended up cutting my hair very short. Matt says it looks good, I'm not convinced, however, it will be a long time before I need another cut. The hairdresser had asked if we were going out to lunch and I said no, but on the way home I thought "why not?" so headed for the Red Lobster. It was bitterly cold today and I made the mistake of requesting our usual booth which turned out to be in the path of the wind coming in from the opening door. Won't do that again. We both had Island Jumbo Coconut Shrimp which was absolutely delicious. Didn't bother with a side again, can get all our veggies at home. I then ordered two Chocolate Wave cakes to take home, we had the ice cream part in the restaurant. We ate the cake for supper.

I phoned the bowling alley but they had no room for us after lunch so we thought we had better go get our dead headlamp bulb replaced. Had a hilarious story from the guy who does the booking in. Apparently he is deathly afraid of planes but Meineke finally insisted he had to go to some convention or other. He started drinking early in the morning and the rest of the story was very funny. My first husband was like that, terrified of flying so he tried to deal with it by drinking. Eventually, when he had to fly for business (after we were divorced) the doctor gave him some pills which he labelled "happy pills". Not sure what they were but apparently they helped.

We drove into the bowling alley parking lot at one point and there was nowhere to park so decided to go back later. Got home and in the end decided not to go. Only trouble is, we forgot the cakes in the car so Matt had to go get them and park the car underground. Decided to go early Thursday afternoon.

Having had a lot of lunch, I just did tomato soup for supper plus the cake. Now I am out of tomato soup so looked for an instapot one online. Lots of the recipes called for all kinds of veg as well as tomato. No thanks, I want just tomato. Finally found one which was pretty close to what I normally make, so, with a couple of adjustments, this is the recipe I will use. For a start, I will have to downsize it as my Instapot isn't big enough for this amount. I don't usually use pepper flakes but might just do that for a change.

Instant Pot Easy Tomato Soup

1 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Tbs Butter
1 Onion, chopped
4 cloves of Garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
3 15 oz Cans of Diced or Crushed Tomatoes, with juice
4 cups Broth, chicken or vegetable
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Tbs Fresh Basil, (chopped) or 1 tsp dried
 
To finish (Optional, To but really makes this soup extra special!)

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or more to taste)
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
Garnish
Croutons
Fresh Basil
Parmesan Cheese

1. Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot. When the display reads "Hot" add the oil and butter.

2. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes (let the onion brown a little for better flavor). Stir occasionally.

3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

4. Add the tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and basil. Stir and close the lid of the pot and lock it into place. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.

5. Cancel the Sauté mode. Press the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button and then the + or - button to choose 5 minutes.

6. When the cook cycle ends, let the pot naturally release pressure for 15 minutes. Then turn the steam release knob to Venting and manually release the remaining pressure.

7. When the pin in the lid drops, open the lid and stir the soup.

8. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to a creamy consistency. Or transfer to a blender and carefully blend the soup in batches. Please use caution!

9. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and let it melt into the soup.

10. Stir in the heavy cream.

11. Taste and adjust salt, if desired.

12. Garnish as desired and serve.

Yield: 8 cups

Source: Simply Happy Foodie

Have a great day
 

Lunch, Tenderloin Drama, Nutcracker Movie, Washing Avocados,

Took one of our friends to lunch at the Red Lobster today as a small thank you for all she did whilst I was in hospital. We all three decided to really treat ourselves so had the Ultimate Feast.

Friend chose a slightly different version which had lobster mac and cheese in it. Matt suddenly realised at the end that he wasn't really into eating crab legs so I was kind and helped him out!! As usual my main complaint, the shrimp in the middle were in a sauce and had their tails on. The ones on the left had their tails on too but they were dry. The red dipping sauce was slightly spicy too and I ate it OK. Excellent lunch. Matt and I had a Chocolate Wave Cake to bring home and as it normally comes with ice cream, we ate the ice cream there. They decorated it with chocolate sauce and, something not done before, they sent us home a little pot of chocolate sauce too. Yummy.

Afterwards, we picked up groceries. I had, as usual, ordered on line and one of the things I ordered was a whole beef tenderloin which was on sale for $32 reduced by $33. (Not sure how long this link will last) When I got there, I received a shock, the beef tenderloin I had was $86. I sent it back. The butcher apparently said he had never heard of a tenderloin at this price - my friend was going to buy one as well. Then she suggested we split the $86 tenderloin which would give us both quite a lot of meat. So when we got home, that's what we did and whilst at it, she cut my half into steaks etc. Once she had gone, I double checked the web page and the acknowledgement of order from the store. In both cases, the tenderloin was still listed at that price. I then decided to phone the store manager and complain. He too had never heard of this price nor had he seen the web site. However, he offered me vouchers for the difference so I was happy with that. Angie, who is the manager of the Click and Collect department, brought them in on her way home. She also took pix of the web page with the offer as they had not seen it. Anyway, I ended up with quite a chunk of tenderloin for a very reasonable price plus a bunch of vouchers to use on my next order.

My friend was telling me she planned to go see the movie of The Nutcracker danced by the Bolshoi Ballet next weekend, said I wouldn't mind going.

I just read an article about washing avocados and thought, how unnecessary. I was wrong, apparently the skin can hold a lot of germs and such which can get into the flesh when you cut the flesh. Never thought of that. Not had an avocado in a while, I do enjoy them.

I am stealing from Closet Kitchen by Kevin Lynch once again. This looks fabulous and just what I would enjoy. Doesn't it look delicious.

Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce

ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed)
• 1 cup cranberry sauce
• 1 round of brie

directions

1. Lay the puff pastry out flat and place the brie onto it.
2. Spread the cranberry sauce over the on the brie.
3. Fold the pastry over the top of the brie.
4. Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven for 25 minutes.

Have a great day
 

Lunch, Car, Shopping,

Went to lunch at the Red Lobster as I said. Enjoyed it and it was great to see my friend - haven't seen her in a while. Crab Fest has started but Matt was the only one who had crab - Crab bites which he said were good. I don't think he touched the sauces though, I could be wrong. I had two of their "tasters". Both shrimp dishes. Very good. One with a really spicy sauce which I want to hunt for on the internet. I think it would be great for egg rolls etc.

Then we left to come home, I was planning to go to the store and pick up groceries but unfortunately the car started making very nasty noises. Went straight to the garage. Turns out it is broken springs and coils (old car of course) gonna cost $1,000 - however, I am beginning to be glad we do have an old car as everyone, including the garage today, says how solid a car it is. It has certainly been a good one for us. Will get the car back tomorrow morning, in time for bowling!!

Then I phoned the grocery store and Ghupal - one of the click and collect people - offered to bring the groceries to us after her shift. Really nice of her. Then I realised our shopping trolley was in the car so borrowed one from a neighbour. Ghupal arrived around 9:20 or so and we unloaded everything into the borrowed trolley. She lives fairly close to us apparently which was convenient. I was very grateful to her.

Guess I need to get up early in the morning, not sure what time they said the car would be ready, so...

This recipe is from Mushrooms Canada. I would not use Miracle Whip personally, but each to their own.

Cheeseburger Quesadillas
Recipe developed in partnership with Ontario Beef.
Prep Time: 10 mins. | Cook Time: 15 mins. | Serves: 4

Ingredients

8 oz (227g) fresh crimini mushrooms
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb (225g) lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups cheddar cheese
½ small red onion, sliced
2 small roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
¼ cup (60 mL) dill pickles, sliced
1 cup (250 mL) shredded lettuce

Burger Sauce:

½ cup (125 mL) Miracle Whip

2 tbsp (30 mL) ketchup

2 tbsp (30 mL) yellow mustard

2 tbsp (30 mL) relish

2 tbsp (30 mL) onion, finely diced

1 tsp (5 mL) white sugar

Method

1. Place mushrooms in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until finely chopped.

2. In a large saucepan, brown mushrooms until moisture has been released, approximately 5-6 minutes. Add onion, beef and garlic, continue to cook for 10 minutes or until ground beef is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, combine all burger sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Place one tortilla in the bottom of a dry grill pan. Sprinkle with cheese, red onion, tomatoes, and dill pickles. Spoon on meat mixture. Top with the second tortilla. If your grill pan comes with a Panini press (lid) place preheated press on top of tortilla. If no press is available, carefully flip the quesadilla over using a spatula.

5. Remove from skillet and cut into wedges. Serve topped with fresh shredded lettuce and burger sauce. 

Have a great day
 

Morning Rush, New Tablet, Bowling, Mandarin,

At about 9:15 Thursday morning I suddenly remembered the physiotherapist was due at 10. Talk about scuttling around. We just made it in time although I hadn't even had a coffee yet. She changed his exercises somewhat by making him do everything for a count of 5 with 10 reps. He said he was exhausted. They also worked on stairs and walked the corridors. She has one more visit. Something I hadn't heard before, if you have a hip replacement or something, you no longer get a therapist coming in, you have to go to a clinic. Don't like that. Not that I can have a replacement at the moment as I would need someone to care for the ol' man.

Of course my Kindle Fire had a reminder of the appointment but I hadn't turned it on - I don't think I will turn it off at night anyway. The wifi is turned off at 11 so that decreases battery use. I got my new cover for it but it doesn't cover the screen. Seems a bit silly. I will have to use my old cover when I put it in my purse, however, with the new cover it stops it slipping which is how I dropped the old one a couple of times.  I also got a new Notebook app too. Had to remember somebody owed me $6.58. In the end she paid me $6 - she didn't realise I guess so I didn't bother with it.

Went bowling in the afternoon of course. Next week we are back to regular bowling with the League on Monday. I had 3 great games today which would have been marvellous for my average on Mondays. But, of course, they don't count. I bowled a 166 average today so here's hoping I can do the same on Monday, or better. Keep everything crossed for me please.

I also got some new tea towels today I am sick of ours which are beginning to fall to pieces. Scheduled a lot of them for silver polishing and then a number for chucking out.

Almost forgot, popped into our supermarket for some tomatoes and there was a woman giving tasters of zucchini noodles (sometimes called zoodles) often wondered what they would be like so I stopped and had some, they were sautéed in olive oil with some chili seeds and she added a little Parmesan when she gave them to me. They were pretty tasty. They sell them, already cut, in the store. Might try them, but it is a fairly large container.

Mandarin for lunch today so won't need to do a lot for supper tonight. Hooray.

Many people don't like Brussels Sprouts, but I thought these would be a good way to encourage people, especially kids, to eat them. I honestly don't know why you would remove the cores but each to their own.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pistachios

3 Tbs grapeseed oil
1 Tbs minced shallot
12 large brussels sprouts (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed, leaves separated from cores (about 8 cups), cores discarded
3/4 cup shelled unsalted natural pistachios
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and stir 20 seconds. Add Brussels sprout leaves and pistachios, and sauté until leaves begin to soften but are still bright green, about 3 minutes. Drizzle lemon juice over. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

No Bowling, Snow, Cursor,

I am teed off (to be polite) it was snowing today and Matt started getting all screwed up about my driving to the bowling alley because they forecast that it would be bad by the end of the day. In the end I capitulated because I didn't want him sitting here worrying. So, I didn't bowl which, because my bowl aheads are not good, our team probably went down the hole. My lead in the ladies average probably went for a tumble anyway. As it happens, I could have driven there quite happily. It did snow constantly all day but the roads were fine until traffic stopped running constantly when the roads started to turn white.

Tomorrow we are supposed to go to Mandarin for Matt's birthday lunch, I am not too sure about driving conditions by lunchtime tomorrow. We shall see. Always assuming Matt agrees to go. His foot is hurting him just above the toes and he is convinced that is where he broke a bone. It isn't.

I spent a while this afternoon trying to solve the mystery of my floating cursor without much luck. Our exercise instructor suggested I should try out different USB ports. Doesn't make any difference. It is obviously the lap top as I tried it's mouse on my desktop and it worked fine. Tried the desktop mouse on my laptop and all was haywire. Maybe throwing my laptop over the balcony might help. Me if not the laptop.

I had some mushrooms I wanted to use up so searched for something to do that was different. I came across this little recipe which was quite simple and delicious. I grow basil so that helped.  I only had half a pound of mushrooms but it worked very well.

Pasta with Mushroom Garlic Sauce

1 lb linguine, cooked al dente,drain
6 Tbs butter
10 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
parmesan cheese, grated

1. In a skillet melt 2 tbsp Butter.

2. Add garlic, allow to brown, then add mushrooms, basil, Salt and Pepper.

3. Cook until the mushrooms are just tender.

4. Add remaining butter and olive oil.

5. Stir and remove from heat.

6. When Pasta is cooked reheat the sauce add parsley.

7. Mix with Pasta and enjoy.

Servings: 4

Source: Genius Kitchen

Have a great day

CCAC, Bowling, Busy Day,

Sunday night and Monday morning we had lots of snow. I half expected the Regional Care co-Ordinator to call and cancel but she didn't. She came and asked lots of questions. She is trying to arrange for Matt to go to a day group where she says they do all kinds of things to help stimulate the memory. When it comes down to it, he will probably refuse to go. CCAC are now called Local Health Care Integration Network!! LHINS I guess. They arrange a lot of assistance if required. Like help with showering or dressing etc. One thing she told us, I commented on the cost of Retirement living and she said one could get assistance.

When she finally left, I grabbed some food for our lunch and then went bowling. The roads weren't as bad as I expected. However, the bowling alley had not been ploughed. I bet they were a tad annoyed about that. Turned out that I was the only one in our team that showed up. The team we were playing against only had two people so I ended up bowling with them. From my calculations I think we beat them hands down and I managed to maintain my average. Not bad considering my second game was lousy. Matt had a bowl ahead and for my bad game he had a good one so that balanced us out team wise. I was surprised how few people seemed to notice that Matt wasn't there.

This morning, Tuesday, his physiotherapist comes to see him. I gather she is supposed to do 6 visits. Then I have a lunch date with a friend. She and hubby are heading to Florida at the weekend. Matt won't join us, he could, but he seems to not want to be seen with the aircast. Then if I am feeling up to it, grocery shopping. I don't find the shopping a problem, it's lugging the cart up to the apartment. We park in the farthest part of the garage so I find the walk quite a hassle. Then of course, putting all the stuff away.

At the time of writing this recipe I have just eaten breakfast but this picture makes me feel hungry. I hadn't heard of making this with crepes. If you have ever tried stuffing the pasta, you will know why this is so much easier plus it apparently freezes well.

Manicotti

There are two types of stuffed manicotti in the world. One is made with large tubular dried pasta, and the other uses a thin crepe (crespelle in Italian) instead. Both are filled before baking. This recipe is the second kind, and the delicate crepes deliver a lightness that you just don’t get from baked pasta. That said, it’s a process, so do what Brad does: “Double the recipe and freeze one of the trays. Trust

me.” And here's why he calls this manicotti the greatest recipe of all time!

Crepe Batter
6 large eggs
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp kosher salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Filling and Assembly
2 large egg yolks, beaten to blend
1 ½ lbs ricotta
8 oz mozzarella, grated
1 oz Parmesan, grated, plus more for serving
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 10-ounce frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained (optional)
3 cups marinara sauce, preferably homemade, divided

1. Crepe Batter

2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs in a large bowl until light, airy, pale in color, and can nearly hold peaks, 6–8 minutes.

3. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour and salt, beating well between additions, until no clumps of flour remain. With mixer speed on low, slowly pour in 1½ cups water and continue to beat until well incorporated. Cover and let dough rest at least 2 hours (this gives the flour time to hydrate and results in a smoother finished texture).

4. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium and spray with nonstick spray. Pour 2 Tbsp. batter into skillet and cook, swirling skillet constantly to encourage crepe to form a nice, round shape, until set, 15–20 seconds. Tap out crepe onto a clean towel; gently flatten any creases. Repeat with remaining batter; if possible, do not to stack crepes.

5. Do Ahead: Dough can be made 1 day ahead; keep covered and chill.

6. Filling and Assembly

7. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix egg yolks, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze out excess liquid from spinach, if using, and add to egg mixture; toss to coat.

8. Spread 1 cup sauce in a 13x9" baking pan. Working one at a time, spoon 2 Tbsp. filling in center of crepe. Spread filling all the way to the ends. Roll up crepe, then flatten slightly with your hands. Transfer seam side down to prepared dish. Working in batches if needed, repeat with remaining crepes and filling, leaving a small gap in between each. Top with sauce and cover with foil. Bake manicotti until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 35–45 minutes. Let manicotti cool slightly in pan to set, about 15 minutes. Top with Parmesan and pepper before serving.

9. Do Ahead: Filling can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Manicotti can be made 1 month ahead; transfer to airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze.

Yield: Makes about 24

Author: Brad Leone
Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

Our Tuesday

Phew, busy day. After dropping off the monitor we stopped for gas on the way to the restaurant and paid $1.24 a litre, expensive, then I was totally annoyed that when we came back a few hours later, the same gas bar was charging $1.18 (I'm rounding up).i.e. 6 cents less. Grrr.

Had a very enjoyable lunch with our friend whom we haven't seen for a while. Then dropped into Costco and bought some chicken breasts and pork loins. I really like the meat there. I just wish I could pay with my Visa. Apparently these days they will accept Master Card but we don't have one and are unlikely to get one. One credit card is enough thank you. Talking of that, we get cash back every November. The cashback disappeared last Friday from our information on line and should have been deposited into our account.  No sign of it to date. I phoned them and they said it was on my next statement but I would not see it on line because I wasn't paperless (still get statements 'cos Matt can't use a computer). He said I would see it on the statement next week. What nonsense. If it didn't show up on line, my online accounts would be inaccurate. Another Grrrr.

After Costco I realised I had forgotten the shopping list so we had to go home and get it. Another grrrr. Although it did mean I could put the meat in the fridge. Headed to the grocers and bought up the store. I discovered they were now selling Kinchi so, of course I had to buy some to try. Hope it's good.  Didn't mention that I had some kelp salad at lunch (had it once before) and I loved it. Wondered if I could buy it round here and discovered I could at a Vietnamese store which I have been to a few times in the past. It really is delicious. Of course I don't know what is in the salad at the Mandarin. Looking on line, looks like it might be cooked and then dressed with a sweet and spicy sauce.  From what I am reading Kelp is the new Kale. Must say I like it better. Will have to look up some recipes.

Having been told that Eastern foods and spices are enabling them to fight off any kind of dementia problems, I am endeavouring to add more things like turmeric and cumin to the foods we eat. This soup fits the bill. I used to boil chickens like this to make stock anyway using the meat from the chicken to turn it into something else. I have always loved Chicken Noodle Soups. They don't say how many scallions but I would think 4 or 5 would suffice.

Turmeric-Ginger Chicken Soup

Chicken noodle soup never gets old. If you don’t have udon for this recipe, use rice noodles or regular old spaghetti. A small knob of fresh turmeric can replace the dried type.

1 3 ½–4-pound chicken
2 medium onions, unpeeled, quartered
2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise
1 4-inch piece ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced
3 dried bay leaves
1 Tbs ground turmeric
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp coriander seeds
Kosher salt
12 oz carrots (about 4 medium), peeled, cut into ½-inch pieces on a diagonal
8 oz dried udon noodles
scallions, very thinly sliced
Chili oil (for serving)

1. Place chicken, onions, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, turmeric, peppercorns, coriander seeds, and several pinches of salt in a large pot. Pour in cold water to cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and gently simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 155°, 30–35 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and let cool slightly; keep stock simmering. Remove skin from chicken; discard. Pull meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces; set aside. Return bones and carcass to stock. Increase heat and bring stock to a boil; cook until reduced by about one-third, 15–20 minutes. Season with more salt if needed.

2. Strain stock into a large saucepan; discard solids. Add carrots, bring to a simmer, and cook until carrots are tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.

4. Divide noodles among bowls. Add shredded chicken meat to stock and cook just until heated through; season stock with more salt if needed. Ladle over noodles. Top soup with scallions and drizzle with chili oil.

Servings: 4

Author: Claire Saffitz
Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day