Earthquake, Hurricanes,Library, Arsenic.

I don't know how, but I totally missed the news about the earthquake in Mexico on Tuesday. It seems like it was a pretty big one. At least 200 people killed. Exactly on the anniversary of the really bad 1985 earthquake I am told. Several schools collapsed which means that some of the children were also killed. The epicentre was some distance from Mexico City but a friend tells me it was still pretty bad there too. This year is going to be remembered for its disasters I think. Puerto Rico is suffering another hurricane at the moment - Maria - then there is another one on the way, Otis. Not sure what happened  to the N hurricane maybe it was a flash in the pan. Neither Jose nor Maria look set to hit the mainland but the devastation on the islands is terrible. I have said it before, but I am so sorry for the islanders because there is nowhere to run to.

I have discovered something recently. If I order a book from my library and there is a large print version, I order that one because they come through much more quickly.

A friend got me worrying this morning because she told me there is arsenic in rice. I googled, she is

right, but then I went further and it turns out that there is arsenic in a lot of the food we eat. For instance the dish I am making for supper includes several items with arsenic.  Water and rice being part of it. Then I thought, I am pushing 80 and Matt is over 80 if we are poisoning ourselves, we've been doing it for a very long time without any adverse effects so I figured I would carry on as usual and stop worrying about it. For you Brussels Sprouts haters, they are quite high in arsenic so you can make that your excuse for not eating them. I will continue to do so however. After all, think of the countries like China where rice is their staple diet and many folk are lucky if they get anything to add to it. By the way, brown rice (which is supposed to be so healthy) has more arsenic than white because the husks are removed. I learned is school that once upon a time rich Chinese were getting rickets because they were eating the white polished rice whereas the poor who couldn't afford anything but brown rice were safe from that illness.

Mongolian Beef

Forget the fast food--this take on Mongolian Beef delivers all the flavor without the insane sodium and fat levels. This vibrant, Asian-inspired dish brings just the right amount of spice to the plate. But to make it a bit more kid-friendly and eliminate the heat altogether, just leave out the chile paste. Serve this bold beef favorite over wide rice noodles to catch all the garlic- and ginger-laced sauce. To

add a little more green to the plate, add a side of steamed or roasted broccoli.

2 Tbs lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp dry sherry
2 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp peanut oil
1 Tbs minced peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbs minced fresh garlic
1 lb sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain
16 medium green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

1. Combine first 8 ingredients, stirring until smooth.

2. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, minced garlic, and beef; sauté for 2 minutes or until beef is browned. Add green onion pieces; sauté 30 seconds. Add soy sauce mixture; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Servings: 4

Source: COOKING LIGHT

Have a great day

Drones to Study Belugas, BC Wildfires, Movie.

There has been a lot in the news about Drones and their nuisance and even danger value. This is a positive use of drones which I found interesting. Scientists are using them to study Beluga Whales in the North West Territories which enables them to do so without disturbing the local population. The study — underway in Paulatuk, N.W.T. a small community on the Arctic coast — combines technologies in new ways to collect data about the whales, avoiding methods like tagging and aerial surveys which hunters in the predominantly Inuvialuit community consider disruptive. Beluga are an important part of the local diet. The idea being to discover if they can make an in depth study without using the tried and true methods of yesterday. This year a section of Darnley Bay is being turned into a Marine Protected Area which will give some protection to many species including polar bears and arctic char who are among the many that come to feed once the ice melts every year.

Problem for BC wines in the making. Fast-moving wildfires in the heart of British Columbia's wine

country are threatening prized vineyards and orchards, with scores of residents forced out of their homes. Loss of vineyards will prove to be an economic disaster for BC. It takes many years to establish a good producing vineyard or orchard. This picture is taken in Oliver, BC and we have English friends who used to spend a lot of time staying in the area. Pretty devastating looking picture isn't it?

Sunday night we watched The Day the Earth Stood Still with Michael Rennie. I thought it was another movie, but in many ways it was similar. I just wish humans would be peaceful as requested in this movie and others I have seen. I am not sure if I ever saw this movie before, but I did enjoy it. The thought that our reaction to a space ship landing would be to surround it with armies, guns and tanks, is pretty terrifying. Of course the spaceman got shot by some dumb soldier who was scared. Typical reaction. Oh well. Maybe it will never happen.

This recipe comes from Kevin at Closet Cooking who does come up with some great recipes. I have borrowed this one as I thought it sounded especially good. Kevin suggests serving this with steamed broccoli.

Mongolian Beef

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Servings: 4

Tender stir-fried beef in a tasty sauce.

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 pound steak (sirloin or flank), sliced thinly
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chill sauce such as sambal oelek
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup water or beef broth
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup green onion, sliced

directions

1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the beef and saute until just cooked, about 2-4 minutes.
2. Add the mixture of the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, chili sauce, garlic, ginger and the mixture of the cornstarch and water to the pan and cook until it thickens a bit, about a minute.
3. Remove from heat, mix in the sesame oil and serve over white rice or noodles, quinoa, etc. garnished with the green onions.

Option: Add some vegetables to the mix such as broccoli, peas, peppers, etc.

Have a great day