Dinosaur, RIP Joan Rivers, Great White, Coffee.

Well, here’s an interesting little lad, Dreadnoughtus, which scientists reckon may be the largest dinosaur found (at least that they can reliably calculate the weight for) there are a couple of others, but there isn’t enough of them to be sure of the weight, Dreadnoughtus they calculate at 59 tonnes. It was found in Argentina and they figure it was vegetarian so would have spent most of its time eating lots of vegetation to satisfy its bulk. It was found in southern Patagonia and is 7 times more massive than the T rex. Matt doesn’t believe they can really figure out the size and weight of these things.

Not having been born and bred on this side of the pond, I/we didn’t know Joan Rivers that well, but we certainly saw a few programmes with her starring. She was certainly extremely funny and it is sad that she is no longer with us. In this day and age, 81 is actually not that old. I am sure for those of you who saw her a lot she will leave a great big hole behind in your entertainment world.

Another top news story at the moment is the two women who were out kayaking when they were tossed into the water by a great white shark taking a bit at the kayak. They had a cell phone with them and you can hear just how scared they were which is not surprising. I would have been terrified too. They were so lucky the shark didn’t come back again for some reason. One of the two girls said she will never kayak again, the other said she might. With the preponderance of great whites around the coasts this year, you wouldn’t catch me out on the water or swimming in it either. There was a sign written on the beach, “you’re going to need a bigger boat”. I should say so.

Scientists have now discovered that the caffeine in coffee is a genetic quirk and not related to the caffeine in chocolate or tea. But once coffee mutated to have caffeine — not just in the bean, there's even more in the leaves — it turned out to be a good thing for the plant. Bugs don't chew on the coffee plant leaves because they don't like the caffeine, but pollinators like bees do. We couldn’t do without our caffeine hit although I actually drink decaf 90% of the time. Apparently coffee is now under attack by pathogens which are not deterred by caffeine. There is a conference schedule to discuss how to deal with this so the world won't go short of coffee.

This recipe sounded particularly good to me. I have been thinking Chinese a lot lately because the Mandarin (one of our favourites) is advertising the Moon Festival and their special dishes. I particularly love moon cakes. As the Mandarin are giving me a free meal for my birthday we are heading there in a couple of weeks.

Moo Shu Vegetables

WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com

This vegetarian version of the classic Chinese stir-fry, Moo Shu, uses already-shredded vegetables to cut down on the prep time. Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, Asian hot sauce and extra hoisin if desired.

Ingredients

3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 12-ounce bag shredded mixed vegetables such as “rainbow salad” or “broccoli slaw”
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Instructions

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs; cook, stirring gently, until set, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.
2. Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add shredded vegetables, bean sprouts, half the sliced scallions, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved eggs and hoisin; cook, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the scrambled eggs, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining scallions and remove from the heat.

Have a great day

Tailorbird, Firefighters, Elephant Piggy Back, Rain.

Another interesting fact I just learnt. While researching Avian Flu in 2009, scientists photographed a small bird at a construction site on the outskirts of Phnom Penh (Cambodia) that, upon recent study, was identified as an entirely new species, the Cambodian Tailorbird. To me that is fantastic that scientists are still discovering new species today when with all the research which takes place, I wouldn’t have thought there was much left to discover.

It’s bad enough that the poor families of the 19 firefighters killed recently are having to suffer the loss of their loved ones, but then you get idiots like this: A rep from the Westview Baptist church is saying that it is a sovereign God that caused the fires to turn and kill the firefighters. What a terrible thing to say. I have no idea which Baptist Church this was, but a friend in Arizona told me it was on her local news. My heart goes out to these families who’s worst fears must now have been realised.

A South African friend of mine posted the following scientific picture on Facebook. I am absolutely staggered.
There is a place we pass now and again where they have models of some dinosaurs and of an elephant, the difference is remarkable, but I have never seen this comparison before, gobsmacking. I hope they never clone this perisher, there wouldn’t be room for any of us.

I have to say, I am sick of rain although, as friends pointed out today, everywhere is gloriously green. Change from this time last year when we were virtually under drought conditions. I guess that’s something to do with all the clover I mentioned the other day. But, boy, would it be nice to see some sunshine for a change. I shouldn’t complain I suppose, at least we have no floods round here, but it does get depressing.

I love Chinese food, first fell in love with it as a youngster being taken to a restaurant in London, England, by friends of my parents. Matt used to cook up a mean Chinese meal but for some reason stopped doing so, pity. It seems I am not alone with the dieting bit lately, so I have decided to leave the nutrition information in, where available. This is part of Meatless Monday that people are starting to follow.

Moo Shu Vegetables

From EatingWell:  September/October 2008

This vegetarian version of the classic Chinese stir-fry, Moo Shu, uses already-shredded vegetables to cut down on the prep time. Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, Asian hot sauce and extra hoisin if desired.

4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 12-ounce bag shredded mixed vegetables, such as “rainbow salad” or “broccoli slaw”
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, (see Shopping Tip)

Preparation

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs; cook, stirring gently, until set, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.
2. Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add shredded vegetables, bean sprouts, half the sliced scallions, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved eggs and hoisin; cook, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the scrambled eggs, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining scallions and remove from the heat.

Nutrition

Per serving : 171 Calories; 9 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 212 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrates; 11 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 328 mg Sodium; 226 mg Potassium
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• Shopping tip: Hoisin sauce is a dark brown, thick, spicy-sweet sauce made from soybeans and a complex mix of spices. Look for it in the Asian section of your supermarket and in Asian markets.

Have a great weekend

Plate Tectonics, Terrorism, Book

We have been following a series (well we’ve only seen two episodes) on TV presented by David Suzuki’s The Nature of Things, which is the most fascinating documentary about Plate Tectonics. The series is called Geologic Journey II and the website is here http://tiny.cc/gcgf4. Because of the movement of the plates, there are areas in the middle east which are literally being torn apart by their movement and volcanic action pushing them apart. Not going to happen tomorrow, more like 10 million years away, but it really is interesting to contemplate all the information and pictures they present in this series. I highly recommend this programme. You can watch the episodes on line too, last night was particularly focused on the The Great Rift Valley which stretches for 9,600 kms in Eastern Africa and which is slowly being separated by volcanic action. The bottom of the rift is very thin. The geologist, Dr. Nick Eyles, visited a volcano containing a lava lake which is one of only 4 in the world. Quite incredible to see the boiling magma just bubbling away there waiting to erupt once again. I decided to check just where we were sitting on the rift which contains our part of Canada. We appear to be well away from the edge. There were pictures of cities, such as Jerusalem, which are sitting right over the plates in such a way to ensure they will be destroyed by earthquake one day. The following is from the web site - Geologic Journey II will change the way you look at the world. In each episode, we dive straight into the Earth's mysterious geologic processes – and explore both science and legend as we seek to understand and explain the geologic forces that shape our world, and our lives. With Dr. Nick Eyles of the University of Toronto Scarborough as our guide, this five-part documentary series will reveal the Earth's magnificent power and its breathtaking beauty

I guess one will have to be careful buying ink cartridges for the printer any more, they have found such cartridges on a couple ofl planes bound for the US full of explosives instead of ink.

I have just finished an absolutely delightful book called The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. It is set in the Japans in the late 18th century and tells the story of a young Dutchman who becomes the Chief Resident in Nagasaki, originally trading with the Japanese on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. It is a realistic, gritty and disgusting but romantic story, nothing is held back and I highly recommend it to everyone who likes novels of the Orient. I cannot for the life of me remember who recommended this novel to me, but whoever it was, I thank them.

Here’s a new take on a classic Chinese recipe – I have included the nutrition information. I need to take a bit more care on my consumption as I am having high sugar readings lately. I thought this might be a good start.

Moo Shu Vegetables

From EatingWell: September/October 2008

This vegetarian version of the classic Chinese stir-fry, Moo Shu, uses already-shredded vegetables to cut down on the prep time. Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, Asian hot sauce and extra hoisin if desired.

4 servings

Ingredients

3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 12-ounce bag shredded mixed vegetables, such as “rainbow salad” or “broccoli slaw”

2 cups mung bean sprouts

1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, (see Shopping Tip)

Preparation

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs; cook, stirring gently, until set, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.
2. Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add shredded vegetables, bean sprouts, half the sliced scallions, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved eggs and hoisin; cook, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the scrambled eggs, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining scallions and remove from the heat.

Nutrition

Per serving : 171 Calories; 9 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 212 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrates; 11 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 328 mg Sodium; 226 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• Shopping tip: Hoisin sauce is a dark brown, thick, spicy-sweet sauce made from soybeans and a complex mix of spices. Look for it in the Asian section of your supermarket and in Asian markets.

Happy Hallowe’en and have a great weekend.

Boxing Day Etc., Losing Weight.

Well, that didn't work. Just shows you, be careful what information you use from the internet. I ended up overcooking my pork roast. It was more like pulled pork than a nicely roasted piece of pork. Everyone said it tasted good, and some had seconds, but I was very disappointed. Our friends nearly didn't come as their son had been pretty sick on Christmas day, however, although not the brightest star in the bunch, he was OK thank goodness. He didn't eat very much mind you. Sunday morning I looked under the Christmas Tree and realised I hadn't put out the Christmas crackers on the table the day before, duuuuh!! Our guests bought us the most delightful set of cut glass place name holders which should look very pretty plus a bottle of gin for Matt and a Panda bookmark for me. Matt cut his thumb quite badly whilst cutting cake, he just kind of sawed right through it!! As he is on blood thinners, it was absolutely pouring, however, by Sunday it seemed to be pretty well OK. We also dealt with the remainder of the pork roast. It didn't seem quite so bad once we got well into the meat. It is now in the freezer in small packets for eating and bigger packets for adding to a stew. We had turkey sandwiches for lunch and slices of pork for supper. We have more pork for tonight and maybe more turkey for lunch today. Not to mention some cheesecake and some chocolate cake. We also have three of four different kinds of cheese - Weight Watchers here I come!!!!! Talking of Weight Watchers I was speaking to someone who has lost 20 lbs on Jenny Craig, but, get this, it costs her something like $150 a week. I don't spend that on groceries for two of us per week and we spend more than most. I also discovered how much my friend paid for her lap band type operation, a lot of money. She looks great, but it would ruin us. In fact she tells me they wouldn't do it for someone my age. Why not I wonder? Don't older people deserve to be thinner too? Eating Well are promoting low calorie and healthy meals at the moment. I wonder why? I notice the chef at WW Recipes is doing salads this week. Could it be something to do with all the stuffing we have been doing lately??? Here is a Moo Shu Vegetable dish whic sounds good. If you have a load of cold pork to use up, like I do *g*, you could add some to this dish. This would, of course, increase the calories, but if you don't go nuts, it shouldn't be too bad. I have left in the nutritional information under the circumstances. Moo Shu Vegetables From EatingWell: September/October 2008

This vegetarian version of the classic Chinese stir-fry, Moo Shu, uses already-shredded vegetables to cut down on the prep time. Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, Asian hot sauce and extra hoisin if desired. 4 servings

Ingredients •3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided •4 large eggs, lightly beaten •2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger •2 cloves garlic, minced •1 12-ounce bag shredded mixed vegetables, such as “rainbow salad” or “broccoli slaw” •2 cups mung bean sprouts •1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided •1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce •1 tablespoon rice vinegar •2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, (see Shopping Tip)

Preparation 1.Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs; cook, stirring gently, until set, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate. 2.Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add shredded vegetables, bean sprouts, half the sliced scallions, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved eggs and hoisin; cook, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the scrambled eggs, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining scallions and remove from the heat.

Nutrition Per serving : 171 Calories; 9 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 212 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrates; 11 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 328 mg Sodium; 226 mg Potassium 1 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat Tips & Notes •Shopping tip: Hoisin sauce is a dark brown, thick, spicy-sweet sauce made from soybeans and a complex mix of spices. Look for it in the Asian section of your supermarket and in Asian markets. Have a great day